What is the legend about Chaerhan Salt Lake?
Most people must not know about Qarhan Salt Lake. Qarhan Salt Lake is very large, covering an area of about 5,800 square kilometers. This is the place with the largest amount of salt storage, but there are no beautiful flowers, green grass, etc. Here is an introduction to Qalhan Salt Lake for everyone to learn about.
The wonder of salt flowers
It is said that there are two flowers in Qinghai that shock the world. One is the butter flower of Kumbum Monastery, and the other is Salt flowers in Qarhan Salt Lake.
Hundreds of millions of years ago, Qarhan Salt Lake was once a vast ocean. Later, due to the rise of the earth's crust, the seabed was exposed and turned into a basin.
Because the climate is hot and dry, the evaporation of the lake water is much higher than the precipitation, so a high concentration of brine is formed in the lake, which then gradually crystallizes into salt particles.
Salt flowers are special-shaped crystals formed by the crystallization of salt in salt lakes. Due to the temperature, climate, length of time, and concentration during crystallization, various and ever-changing shapes are formed. Beautiful salt flowers.
In the restricted area of life, everything is silent, but only the "salt flower" blooms the most. It is a wonderful work given to mankind by nature, guarding this pure land day and night.
These salt flowers do not require artificial carving and have different shapes. Some are like shells, some are like towers, and they stand in clusters, pieces, and clusters in the salt lake. , decorating the salt lake like a fairyland.
If you are lucky, you can also see a mirage.
Beautiful legend
If the Chaka Salt Lake is a smooth mirror, the vast Chaerhan is like a flawless jade, quietly leaning against the Qaidam Basin of the south.
Because there are few people, the Chaerhan Salt Lake seems a bit quiet and desolate during the day, but because of this, you can enjoy the shock of 5,800 square kilometers.
On the calm lake surface, the water and sky are the same color, and the white clouds in the distance are like the waves of sea water, gradually coming towards you layer by layer.
The thick salt cover, undulating constantly, is the wave of the sea, washing your soul over and over again.
At dusk, it is a different scene. The beautiful glow between the lake and the sky, the sparkling lake surface, and the next second it feels like the Zixia Fairy will be walking from a distance on colorful auspicious clouds. The scenery is simply a memory that will never be forgotten in a lifetime.
Legend has it that a long time ago, there were gold, silver and jewels everywhere in Charhan. However, the mountain gods and monsters were not responsible enough and indifferent, and fought endlessly all year round to snatch the treasures, which brought great disasters here.
When the Queen Mother of the West, who lived deep in the Kunlun Mountains, learned about it, she said, "This is outrageous." If you can't get it, you can only keep it for your descendants in the world.
So, the salt lake appeared here.
Although it is just a beautiful myth, it also adds a lot of "sentiment" to this land. It is no longer a cold forbidden zone, but a living "life".
Wanzhang Salt Bridge
In addition to the beautiful scenery, Qarhan Salt Lake also has 32 kilometers of Qinghai-Tibet Railway roadbed and a road paved entirely with salt. The Dunge Highway, a road across the Salt Lake, is called the "Wan Zhang Salt Bridge" by the locals.
This may not sound like a big deal, but you must know that according to general requirements, if the soil salt content reaches 10%, it does not meet the standards for road construction. The Qarhan Salt Lake obviously far exceeds this. standard.
The biggest problem encountered during road construction is the brine cave under the salt lake, which may cause the bridge deck to collapse or break.
After repeated consideration, people decided to use salt caps to fill the caves. It really worked. The compressive strength of the road can reach 7 to 20 kilograms per square centimeter, and cars can safely ride on it. Passage.
Do you still remember the water railway in Spirited Away?
This "salt bridge" has no guardrails, no piers, and no running water. Viewed from the air, It's like it crosses the lake directly, splitting the salt lake in half in the middle. It seems that if you follow this road, you can reach the residence of the gods.