Mangya Emerald Lake

Chinese name: 翡翠湖（Fei Cui Hu） 
Location: Mangya City, Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Prefecture, Qinghai Province.
Ticket: Free
Estimated tour time:1-3 Hours
Recommended time to visit: May- Oct
Nearby attractions: Dachaidan Wusute Water Yadan Geological Park, Dachaidan Emerald Lake, etc.

China is a country which is rich in salt lakes. The four main areas of salt lake distributions are the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Qinghai Province, Tibet Autonomous Region and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Located in Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province in northwest China, there is a lake which has beautiful emerald colored water. Looking from an aerial view, it is like a delicate jewel inlay in the broad ground.

Emerald Lake is about 32 kilometers away from Mangya City, with Kunlun Mountain in the south and Altun Mountain in the north. It is a rich and beautiful artificial salt lake. The total area of the salt lake is about 26 square kilometers, this lake used to be a mining area.,After years of mining, the water mixed up with a high concentration of salt and became brine. Different minerals alongside with the crystal of salt reflect the light, making up this miracle.It belongs to the magnesium sulfate subtype salt lake. 

There is a rock salt layer at the bottom, which is generally 5 meters thick, and the thickest point is 9.68 meters. The lake is rich in salts such as lithium, potash, and mirabilite. The high-concentration salt water in the salt ponds with different shapes and different depths is called “brine” locally. It is a pit formed after years of mining in the salt lake. Due to the different concentration of minerals, a colorful scene is formed, especially when it is calm and the waves are scattered around like a mirror.