Lancang River Originating Pasturing Area

The pasture is distributed in Nangqian and Zaduo counties, and mainly lies in the Zhaqu Valley Plain. The valley is open and flat, with the Lancang River rotating inside, adding verve to the pasture. On the two sides of the valley, there are also some grazing highlands with thick vegetation, with an average altitude of above 4,000 meters.

  The Qinghai-Tibet railway built on frozen earth

The frozen earth is about 100 kilometers to the south of Ge'ermu City. In July and August, the snow on the earth surface thaws away, and grass and blossoms flourish; nonetheless, about one chi (about 0.33 meter) under the earth surface is permanently frozen earth. The problem of frozen soil is a major obstacle for railway's design and construction. To counteract altitude sickness, it is necessary for visitors to bring along oxygen bags and medicine for colds.

  Cha'erhan Salt Lake - the most unique landscape in China

There are more than 30 salt lakes in the Qaidam Basin, which literally means salt pond in Mongolian. The overall salt reserves exceed 100 billion tons; the biggest is the Cha'erhan Salt Lake, which occupies 5,600 square kilometers, and boasts 60 billion tons of salt reserves - almost all of them kalium salt.

Cha'erhan Lake is about 60 kilometers south of Ge'ermu. Due to the hot and dry weather conditions, the region's evaporation rate is 140 times more than its precipitation. As a result, salt from the lake's surface is gradually crystallized, having so far formed an extremely hard and heavy salt cover between 1-4 meters thick.

The vast and flat geological conditions have contributed to the area's unique and spectacular landscape. The lake's surface looks like arable land that has just been ploughed. On a sunny day, the lake emits a light steam, resembling an ocean. A mirage can appear on some occasions, adding glamour to the natural wonder. The bridge looks like a normal asphalt road although it is much easier to repair: It only takes some water diluted with a large amount of salt to fill small holes or smooth out bumps.

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