On 27 August 2026, my family took a day-trip to Chaka Salt Lake from Xining, capital of Qinghai Province. The experience exceeded my expectations. I had seen photos of the lake before, yet nothing compares to being there in person.

We took the seasonal slow‑train service that runs between Xining and Chaka during peak travel season. It was quite comfortable travelling in the lower hard‑sleeper berths, even though the journey lasted 4.5 hours one way.

Chaka Salt Lake boasts extensive, large‑scale visitor facilities, clearly built to accommodate huge volumes of tourists. Thanks to the rainy weather on our visit, however, crowds were surprisingly light.

The narrowgauge sightseeing train cuts across the salt flat, running 4 km from MirroroftheSky Station at the park entrance all the way out to Chaka Snow Station deep inside the lake. The openair carriages glide slowly past a series of themed stops: saltsculpture displays at Chaka Salt Station, mountainview vistas at Chaka Glow Station, the iconic redsilk art installation at Chaka Wind Station, before reaching the final terminal, where the best mirrorlike reflections can be found. Many visitors take the train all the way to the end and then walk back along the lakeside boardwalk, pausing to take photos along the route.

It’s amazing to see so many colourful trains running continuously across the salt flat.

The still saltflats create ethereal mirror reflections even on grey, cloudy days, offering a serene, otherworldly experience amid vast Qinghai wilderness.

Chaka Salt Lake is well worth adding to any Qinghai travel itinerary, even on a rainy day.

Yours Truly

Angie Guo - Charmission Travel