Dachaidan Emerald Lakes

The Qaidam basin is a closed depression whose lakes have no outlet and concentrate salts, and at Dachaidan the brine pools hold potassium, magnesium and boron compounds in proportions that turn the water shades of jade, emerald and turquoise, varying pool by pool and with the light. White salt crust rims each pool, and the surrounding ground is flat pale desert with distant ranges, so the colours read very strongly against it. Some pools are worked commercially for salts, and walkways run between them at the visitor area. The site sits above 3,000 metres in a dry, cold, windy basin.

What you actually see

• The coloured pools - jade and turquoise brine in adjacent basins.
• The salt crust - white rims and formations around each pool.
• The basin desert - flat pale ground running to distant ranges.
• The extraction works - commercial salt operations nearby.

When to go

June to September for tolerable temperatures; the basin is bitterly cold and windy from October to May. Midday sun brings out the colours most strongly, unlike most landscapes.

Honest expectations

The area is extremely remote with long drives between anything. Facilities are minimal. Entry is charged and part of the area is industrial. Wind and altitude make it uncomfortable.

Nearby

Chaka lies east; Dunhuang is north over the mountains in Gansu.