Qicai Salt Lake

Qicai Salt Lake generally refers to Yuncheng Salt Lake, the largest lake in Shanxi Province and the largest sodium sulfate salt lake in China. Here is a detailed introduction to the lake:

- Basic Information

- Location: No. 365, Jiefang South Road, Yanhu District, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province, located at the bottom of the Yuncheng Basin.

- Area: About 132 square kilometers.

- Formation: The movement of the earth's crust caused a large amount of salt minerals to gather, and after long-term precipitation and evaporation, a natural salt lake was formed.

- History: Yuncheng has a 4,600-year history of salt mining and a 70-year history of inorganic salt development. The Hedong Salt Pool was an important salt supply base in northern ancient China.

- Cause of Color Change

- Microbial Action: Halophilic archaea in the salt lake can produce pigment proteins, which make the cells appear red. In addition, there are algae of various colors such as green, blue, and yellow, which contain chlorophyll, lutein, etc., and will appear in different colors depending on the concentration.

- Mineral Concentration Differences: The small salt pools formed by artificial mining have different concentrations of chemical components such as potassium and sodium in each pool, and show different colors under the action of high temperature and strong light.

- Featured Landscapes and Projects

- Qicai Salt Pool: From a high altitude, the salt pools crisscross, and under the sunlight, they are colorful, like a natural palette.

- Salt Sculpture Art: There are unique salt sculpture artworks in the scenic area, with realistic shapes and as white as jade.

- Salt Lake "Five Wonders": Indoor health experience projects developed based on salt lake resources, including medical hot springs, saltwater floating, salt mist lung cleansing, mineral salt physiotherapy, and black mud health.

- Protection and Development

- Protection Measures: Carry out the "Clean Lake Action", carry out river dredging, embankment restoration, lake greening, water system management, and other projects; establish the Yuncheng Salt Lake Protection and Utilization Research Institute, and establish the Yuncheng Salt Lake Ecological Protection and Resource Utilization Hall and City Co-construction Shanxi Province Key Laboratory Cultivation Base.

- Development Direction: Promote the integrated development of "culture + ecology + tourism", hold activities such as the Salt Culture Tourism Week and the Lake Cycling Race, promote the transformation and upgrading of the salt lake, and build it into a health and wellness resort suitable for tourism, health, and therapy.