North China salt lake a ‘sea of ice flowers’

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As temperatures across northern China continue to drop, the plummeting mercury has transformed the Yanhu salt lake in the city of Yuncheng in northern China’s Shanxi Province into a "sea of ice flowers".

Seen from a distance, the salt lake looks like it is coated in frozen flowers. /CGTN Photo

The ‘ice flowers’ are called Xiao Hua or Xiao Song in Chinese and are actually crystals of sodium sulfate in the lake.

It’s a phenomenon that only appears when the temperature falls to minus five degrees centigrade.

Crystals of sodium sulfate in the lake formed countless flowers. /CGTN Photo

Yanhu Lake covers 132 square kilometers and is 30 kilometers in length.

An aerial view shows that it has turned into a frosty sea and on closer inspection, the lake looks like it is full of countless flourishing ice flowers.

The ‘ice flowers’ are the masterpieces of nature. /CGTN Photo

In the sunshine, these ‘ice flowers’ glint like diamonds, catching the eye of both tourists and photographers who have flocked to the area to witness the phenomenon.

White salt lake in the sunset /CGTN Photo

People call the Yanhu Salt Lake China's Dead Sea. It’s one of the top three inland salt lakes in the world. It’s rich in edible and industrial salts, such as sodium sulfate and magnesium sulfate.

715km