You must visit the Qaidam Basin in your life
Speaking of the Qaidam Basin,
What did you think of first?
Is it a resource producing area and industrial base without "popularity"?
Or the vast, desolate, and silent Gobi?
The "Scenery" of the Gobi Photo by Liu Zhongjun
No matter what kind of impression it is, many people have already acquiesced in their hearts that the desolate places where mines are everywhere have nothing to do with the extreme scenery.
Overlooking Qaidam photo by Cao Shengyuan
But desolation can also be expressed in many ways.
When lakes, wetlands, swamps collide with the Gobi, desert, and Yadan landforms, they seem to be full of vitality.
Here, there are endless excitement and expectations...
The most beautiful salt lake photo by Li Yufeng
There is a colorful salt lake
The Qaidam Basin is located between the lofty Kunlun Mountains and the Qilian Mountains. It is known at home and abroad as the "Treasure Basin" on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and is one of the three major inland basins in China.
Qinghai "Treasure" Photo by Su Qiao
"Qaidam" means "broad" in Mongolian. For some historical reasons, some scholars have also translated it as "yanze", and the name "yanze" expresses the natural landscape of the Qaidam Basin very accurately.
Photo by Zhao Linsong, Chaka Salt Lake
The salt lakes in the basin are dotted with stars, among which the most well-known is the "sky realm" Chaka Salt Lake.
Mirror photo by Xu Guojin
Chaka Salt Lake was rated as one of the "55 Places People Must Visit in Life" by National Tourism Geography Magazine.
The train track leading to the sky. Photo by Zhang Shengbao
During the day, when you stroll through the salt marshes, or take a small train to the depths of the salt lake, you only feel that the water fills the sky and wanders beneath your feet, as if you are surrounded by a "double" wonderland world.
The dancing elf photo by Liu Xiaowei
At night, when the sky is full of stars, there are endless stars under your feet, as if walking in the Milky Way...
Photo by Fanxing Li Zhengqian
The Milky Way in the Mirror of the Sky
This summer, a mysterious lake hidden in the depths of the Qaidam Basin was frantically screened on the Internet. It is the Jinel Lake in Dongtai, known as the Qinghai version of the "Maldives".
Photo by Zhao Linsong, Jinel Lake, Dongtai
With turquoise lake water, white crystals, and the scorching sun, there is indeed a sense of Maldives here at first glance, but the desolate style of the plateau is not available in resorts.
It is both silent and soft, time stops flowing, and the blue sky and white clouds seem to be sucked into the lungs.
As the heart of the Qaidam Basin, Chaerhan Salt Lake is not as well-known as Chaka, but it is the largest salt lake in China and the second in the world, 56 times larger than Chaka Salt Lake!
There is also a magnificent view that is more dazzling than Chaka.
The white salt flats, the crystal clear salt lake water, the shimmering lake surface, the salt flowers of different shapes... When you are here, time seems to have stopped, and the heart is surprisingly calm!
The charming salt flower in Chaerhan Salt Lake Photo by Fuyu
When the salt grains are connected to form a solid thick salt cap, it has a strong carrying capacity and forms a "wanzhang salt bridge" that spans the entire Chaerhan Salt Lake. Whether it is driving or walking, it is breathtaking.
The Emerald Lake is composed of salt ponds of different shapes and different depths. From a high altitude, the crystal clear "Emerald" is inlaid on the ground.
Mangya Emerald Lake Photo by Zhao Linsong
Dachaidan Emerald Lake Photo by Zhao Linsong
The mirror-like lake surface reflects the blue sky, white clouds and snow-capped peaks, like a fairyland.
Emerald Lake Photo by He Qiannan
There are mountains of white wealth
These salt lakes hidden in the Qaidam Basin not only have unique landscapes, but also contain rich white wealth.
Photo by Liu Shanqing, Hobson Salt Lake, Golmud
There are 33 large and small salt lakes, with a total area of more than 30,000 square kilometers, of which 321.617 billion tons of sodium have been proven, ranking first in China.
Mangya Emerald Lake Photo by Zhao Linsong
Known as the "Great Salt Lake of China", the sodium chloride in the Chaerhan Salt Lake is enough for 7 billion people worldwide to eat for 2000.
Chaerhan Salt Lake Photo by Zhao Linsong
With more than 100 square kilometers of Chaka Salt Lake, as long as the salt cover more than 10 centimeters thick is uncovered at will, natural crystalline salt can be obtained from below.
Photo by Zhao Linsong, Chaka Salt Lake
These salt crystals are large and pure, with a mellow salt taste.
The salt produced is sold to many provinces and regions across the country.
Natural Crystalline Salt Photo courtesy of Qinghai Salt Industry Co., Ltd.
In addition to producing edible salt, these salt lakes also contain a lot of minerals.
111 kinds of minerals have been discovered, of which reserves of potassium, sodium, magnesium, lithium, asbestos, glauber's salt, and limestone rank the first in the country, with a potential economic value of more than 188 trillion yuan.
Photo courtesy of Chaka Salt Lake Salt Mining Ship Qinghai Salt Industry Co., Ltd.
Among them, the Chaerhan Salt Lake with a total area of 5,856 square kilometers, under its surface is the largest soluble potassium-magnesium salt deposit in my country, with the largest reserves of sodium, magnesium, potassium, and lithium in China.
Chaerhan Salt Lake Photo by Zhao Linsong
You see, the white objects piled up like a mountain along the lake are its proud treasure.
Photo by Li Yun, Chaerhan Salt Lake
Here is a unique wind erosion Yadan
If the drought created a salt lake in the center of the basin, the wind and sand carved out the unique Yadan landform of the basin.
The northwestern part of the Qaidam Basin has the largest Yadan landform group in the country.
Overlooking the Russian Bo Liang Yadan Photo by Cao Shengyuan
The Qaidam Yadan landform group is composed of mounds of different sizes and staggered heights and recessed trench intervals, resembling millions of ancient castles.
Yadan landform photo by Zhao Linsong
In the evening, the violent wind swept the sand and stones under the Yadan Forest, and there were strange noises in the mounds, and the strange sounds were faint and terrifying, like the devil coming!
Yadan landform photo by Wang Huoyan
The intricate Yadan landform is extremely difficult and difficult to navigate, but there is danger and wonder.
Internet celebrity highway photo by Zhao Linsong
The black road undulates with the terrain, like a black wandering dragon, but also like a bloodline of life extending on the desolate land.
Photo by Liu Zhankun on the road to Yadan
Inside, you can see the transparent blue sky and white clouds, the endless Gobi desert, the deep night sky and the brilliant Milky Way, as well as the thousands of forms of earth and forest carvings...
Photo by Shuishan Yadan Li Jun
The meteor shower in the night sky appears on the Yadan landform (multiple overlays) Photo by Li Dingmou
Yadan on the water is a different kind of "devil city" style.
Around the lake, there is an endless desert Gobi.
The various forms of Yadan landforms are reflected in the water, forming a magical and mysterious picture.
New photo by Liu Kuan on Water Yadan
Here are the "outsiders" of the "different planet"
Endless deserts, dry salt flats, and rugged Yadan, these landforms combine to form a piece of the earth that is least like the earth in the basin. It is "Mars" that everyone can reach.
The magical "rings of Saturn" photo by Uschel
When you walk from the prosperous city to the deserted Gobi and see the abandoned oil town, those half floors are buried under the yellow sand and ruined walls, you can still see the prosperity of the past.
The ruins of an oil town, a photo courtesy of the Martian town on the Earth's cold lake where resources are exhausted
Touching the ruined walls, stepping on the industrial ruins.
You can't help asking yourself, if human civilization is buried by yellow sand, where should we go?
Photo courtesy of Oberyan Yadan Landform Simulation Mars Cold Lake Martian Town
After arriving at the "Mars Camp", the construction style in the camp also simulates the living environment of humans after they migrate to Mars in the future, including the "headquarters building" and "Mars capsule".
When you see a building with such a sense of science and technology in no man's land, it seems that you have actually reached Mars.
Photo by He Qiannan, Mars Camp
Leaving the Mars camp and heading southwest, you will encounter a huge "eye" that stares at the sky without blinking.
Devil's Eye-Photo by Zhao Linsong, Aikenquan
This is Aiken Spring, because the birds and beasts around the spring do not dare to approach, and there is no grass in the place where the spring water flows. Some people call it the "devil's eye".
Aikenquan photo by Zhao Linsong
The red-and-yellow earth and red-brown sandstones around the spring are like a circular palette to create a colorful scene, very beautiful!
Aikenquan photo by Zhao Linsong
And the Tuosu Lake in the northeast of the Qaidam Basin also hides countless inexplicable wonders.
Photo by Zhao Linsong, Keruk Lake
The legendary "alien site" is located on the south bank of the salty Lake Tosu.
Photo by Zhao Linsong, Tosu Lake
Here, people have discovered that the iron pipes that the people on earth cannot make can only guess that this is the place where the aliens once stayed.
Photo by Zhao Linsong at the Alien Site
But Lake Luke and Lake Tuosu are very close, but their style and character are quite different. A highway divides two horizons, with fertile water and grass on one side and vast Gobi on the other.
They are light and salty, and are called "Lover Lake", leaving beautiful and moving legends.
"Lover Lake" Photo by Zhao Linsong
There are "treasures" here
If salt and potash are white wealth, then oil is the black treasure that belongs to this land.
Photo by Zhao Linsong
As the motherland's "cornucopia", the Qaidam Basin contains abundant oil and natural gas resources.
As early as in the history books of the Tang Dynasty, there is a record of the use of oil by the ancients living in the Qaidam Basin.
Fracturing operation in Qaidam Basin Photo by Jiang Hong
Today, it is still an important oil production and supply base on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which has made important contributions to national development.
The "Heroic Ridge" oil and gas production base in Huatugou Town, northwest of the Qaidam Basin, has a high average altitude and difficult natural conditions.
It was once the world's highest Lion 20 well. Photo by Zhao Linsong
Standing on the "Heroic Hill" and looking around, gray-brown gullies are entrenched on the mountain; the red and yellow oil pumping units are tirelessly nodding their heads; the red silhouettes are methodically busy beside the oil extraction units Now, bright oil flowers are dotted on the desert...
Aerial photo by Sun Rui, Gasi Oilfield
Qinghai has high solar radiation intensity and long sunshine hours. The abundant sunlight brings inexhaustible solar energy.
According to estimates, Qinghai's solar energy can be developed over 3 billion kilowatts.
Among them, the Qaidam Basin is one of the regions with the most solar energy.
Photo by Zhao Linsong, Photovoltaic Ocean
In recent years, driven by the country's vigorous efforts to promote the favorable policies of the photovoltaic power generation industry, the Qaidam Basin has "seized the opportunity" and has been playing the role of the "leader" in the field of centralized grid-connected photovoltaic power generation in China.
Aerial photography of Qinghai Supcon Delingha 50MW CSP Station Zhao Linsong
You see, rows of photovoltaic panels are neatly arranged at an angle, greedily absorbing sunlight.
The warm sunlight is converted into electricity, which flows into the power grid and enters the homes of ordinary people.
Photographed by Wang Guodong, the green artery, Qinghai 750 kV stop line
Not far away, a white fan came into view. They took the opportunity to catch the wind passing by the Gobi. The fan blades turned faster or slower under the action of the wind, blowing new green energy for the vast Gobi. hope……
Road and Fan Photo by Zhao Linsong
It is vast, arid, desolate, silent, and barren, and even the Internet has little information about it.
Photo by Tian Jingyue, Chaidamu Arak Lake
There seems to be nothing here, but only if you have been here can you know what it really looks like!
Photo by Zhao Linsong at Huatugou Airport
Its warm loneliness, its wild passion, it can satisfy all the illusions about the Great Northwest!
It is Qaidam!
Photo by Delingha Zhao Linsong
Author: He Qiannan