Caka Salt Lake: the 'mirror of the sky' in NW China

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Located in Ulan County of northwest China's Qinghai Province, Caka Salt Lake is so clear it can sometimes act like a mirror, reflecting the vast sky.

The lake is located in the eastern Qaidam Basin, which has the largest salt reserve in the world.

Caka Salt Lake, Qinghai, China. /VCG Photo

A hole in Caka Salt Lake, Qinghai, China. /VCG Photo

Caka Salt Lake, Qinghai, China. /VCG Photo

Caka Salt Lake under the Milky Way, Qinghai, China. /VCG Photo

The Caka area used to be a shallow sea in ancient times.

Tectonic movements of Eurasian and Indian Ocean plates had formed the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, causing the residual seawater to accumulate in low-lying areas, thus forming the ancient saline lakes.

Water kept evaporating, which eventually shaped the many salt lakes in the Qaidam Basin.

(Cover image: Caka Salt Lake in twilight, Qinghai, China. /VCG Photo)

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