China's mirror of the sky: Chaka Salt Lake

Nicknamed “China’s mirror of the sky,” Chaka Salt Lake is rated by Chinese National Geography as one of the 55 must-visit places in your lifetime. It reopened this May after upgradation and reconstruction since last October. But due to poor transportation, most people have yet to witness its charm.

茶卡盐湖是中国的“天空之镜”，被国家地理评为“人生必去的55个地方”之一。去年10月因升级改造关闭的茶卡盐湖已于今年5月份重新开放。但是由于交通不便，好多人都没有一睹“天空之镜”的风采。

For people in Guangdong, here is good news — a direct high-speed train route linking Guangzhou and Lanzhou is put into operation today, which will take less than 10 hours, making the trip to “China’s mirror of the sky” much more convenient.

今天深圳人迎来一个好消息：广州直达兰州的高铁线路通车喽，不用10个小时就可以到达。

Maybe some of you remember the scene where a train travels through water in Hayao Miyazaki’s “Spirited Away.” If you come to Chaka Salt Lake, you will see the real-life version of it, a train that travels through water like in a wonderland.

不知道大家还记不记得，千与千寻里面的“水上列车”？来到茶卡盐湖，你能一睹真实版的“水上列车”。

A deserted railway stretches into Chaka Salt Lake.

Standing in the middle of the lake, the endless sky and water merge into each other in such a distorting way that it almost makes you feel like you’ve entered into a two-dimensional space.

站在茶卡盐湖中间，仿佛位于另一个二维空间。四周好似无尽头般，天地连成一条线。

Chaka Salt Lake at night, with the reflections of the stars on the lake, will stun you with the beauty and grandeur of the universe, all the while humbling you as you stand insignificantly against the sweeping heavens above you.

晚上的盐湖，星光璀璨。漫天星光倒影在湖中，仿佛身处宇宙。

The enormous salt carvings here are another source of awe. The huge salt carving of Genghis Khan, the Great Khan and founder of the Mongol Empire, is 50 meters long, 30 meters wide and 8 meters high and is made up of 4,800 tons of salt.

见过木雕、沙雕、冰雕、石雕、你见过盐雕吗？在茶卡盐湖，你可以目睹盐雕的壮丽。看到精细的盐雕，不惜感叹人类的创作力同大自然的创造力。

The salt carving of Genghis Khan.

Besides Chaka Salt Lake, there are many other tourist attractions nearby you don’t want to miss out on.

除了“茶卡盐湖”，周围还有什么好玩的地方？

Yinchuan, capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, is home to over 60 historical sites including mosques, pagodas, pavilions, temples and imperial tombs as well as natural scenery such as Helan Mountain, Sand Lake and Shapotou. China Western Film Studio is also worth a visit if you find yourself in the neighborhood.

宁夏回族自治区的首府银川是历史悠久的塞上古城。

Qinghai Lake, in the northeast part of Qinghai Province, is the largest inland saltwater lake in China. The 8-square-kilometer Bird Island, on the western edge of the lake, is a paradise for more than 100,000 migratory birds, including bar-headed geese, brown-headed gulls, swans and wild ducks.

青海湖是中国最大的内陆湖、咸水湖。由祁连山脉的大通山、日月山与青海南山之间的断层陷落形成。

The golden world of Menyuan County is famous for its vast green fields and yellow canola flowers, and July and August are the best times to visit Menyuan Hui Autonomous County for thousands of hectares of rapeseed can be seen blooming in all of their golden glory.

门源回族自治县历史悠久，多处出现的卡约文化、辛店文化古村落、古墓遗址说明，是“丝绸之路”的辅道，也是青海省的“北大门”。

Qiyi Glacier, located in the hinterlands of the Qilian Mountain Range, southwest of Jiayuguan City, Gansu, is one of the most accessible glaciers in Asia and a nice option for mountaineering enthusiasts.

七一冰川是亚洲离城市最近的冰川。茫茫一片洁白，有一个寂静的银色世界。