Surrounded by no man's land, Mangya City has impressed many visitors with its landscape and atmosphere. The county-level city sits in the northwest of Qinghai Province, bordering on Xinjiang, both in northwest China. The average altitude is 3,000 meters above sea level, and the climate in the plateau is dry, windy and cold. But the harsh environment has created stunning natural phenomena such as Aiken Lake and Feicui Lake.

Aiken Lake is also called the "devil's eye" because of how it looks from the sky. The lake's sulfur, alkaline soil and acid composition work together to create a magnificent image reminiscent of a landscape painting.

By contrast, Feicui Lake, or Emerald Lake, in Da Qaidam district is an artificial lake. But its beautiful emerald color attracts countless tourists. The lake used to be a mining area and a salt lake and is rich in potassium, magnesium, lithium and other elements.

(All photos via VCG)

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