Caka Salt Lake, perched at 3,100 meters on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in the Chinese mainland, is known worldwide as the "Mirror of the Sky." Visitors flock for surreal reflections—but beneath the shimmering surface lies a story of human ingenuity and resilience.
A Landscape of Mirrors and Machines
While the lake’s crystalline waters frame the sky so perfectly that you can’t tell where earth ends and heavens begin, a bustling salt factory and a wind station hum quietly at its edges. Here, age-old salt-harvesting techniques meet 21st-century clean energy solutions, forming a seamless blend of past and future.
Salt Harvesting: Past Meets Present
Local workers still gather salt by hand across 600 square kilometers of alga-tinted flats. Every year, they harvest around 200,000 tons of high-purity sodium chloride, supplying everything from table salt to industrial minerals. At the on-site factory, traditional methods are enhanced by automated sorting and drying systems—accelerating production while preserving local know-how.
Harnessing Plateau Winds
In the heart of the lake stands a state-of-the-art wind station. At 50 megawatts of capacity, its turbines capture powerful plateau winds to generate clean power for nearby villages and processing facilities. Data from the past five years show wind speeds averaging 8 meters per second, enough to light up 30,000 homes annually.
Changing Horizons
Behind every mirror-like sunset at Caka Salt Lake is an ecosystem where nature and innovation coexist. Researchers are studying microalgae blooms to boost ecological restoration, while entrepreneurs explore eco-tourism models that support local communities. It’s a microcosm of global challenges: finding balance between conservation, culture, and technological progress.
For travelers, Caka Salt Lake offers more than just a perfect selfie spot. It’s a living lab on the high plateau—where every reflection tells a story of change, resilience, and endless horizons.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
