Things to do in Ulan
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Top 10 attractions in Ulan
Chaka Salt Lake
Chaka Salt Lake is a 3,000-year-old salt field with highly saline water that naturally crystallizes into a white surface, beautifully reflecting the sky, clouds, and mountains on the opposite shore. Visitors can walk barefoot on the lake to observe and photograph their reflections, creating a mirror-like illusion of the sky. On sunny days, Chaka Salt Lake boasts highly crystallized waters where you can see a thin layer of brine covering the pristine white salt lake, creating clear and pure reflections. In the sculpture area of the attraction, you'll find the stone-carved Goddess of the Salt Lake, along with around a dozen other massive salt sculptures depicting figures like Maitreya Buddha and Genghis Khan. Walk along the path to the lakeshore, and you'll see the pristine white Chaka Salt Lake, perfect for exploration. A railway extends into the lake, with its starting point serving as the boarding area for the small train. Ride it to the deeper parts of the lake, where the scenery is even more breathtaking.Ulan · 57.8 km from downtown
Chaka Sky No.1 Scenic Area
Chaka Sky No.1 Scenic Area is located in the eastern part of Chaka Salt Lake, backed by the sacred Kunlun Mountains known as the ancestor of all mountains. Situated at the eastern gateway of the Qaidam Basin, it offers views of the Kunlun Mountains to the south and the Qilian Mountains to the north, with picturesque salt lake reflections. The attraction integrates salt lake views and salt culture with ancient Qiang-Jingpo culture and Dorbed Mongolian culture, creating a comprehensive tourist destination featuring salt lake sightseeing, unique salt culture experiences, and eco-friendly vacations. Lakeside loop train The lakeside train route spans 8.5 km with 5 stops, allowing you to comfortably explore the entire attraction. Beautiful No.1 Scenic Spot is a must-visit photo destination. The entrance to Chaka Sky No.1 Scenic Area, designed with the characters "Chaka" as its image, is an iconic landmark of Chaka. Upon entering the scenic area, you'll immediately spot the Salt Sculpture of Camels, which stands 8.2 meters tall. The majestic two-humped camels, carrying salt bags, walk atop the pristine white salt piles, with the salt sculpture appearing incredibly lifelike. Walk through the commercial street to reach the Munao Zongge Square, where you must follow the totems on the square's ceremonial pillars to explore the origins of Chaka salt culture. At the southern end of the square, an 800-meter-long boardwalk extends deep into the salt lake. Designed in the shape of Gesang flowers, its farthest extension resembles a phoenix ready to take flight, earning it the name "Danfeng Chaoyang" (Phoenix Greeting the Sun). Experience the sacred and magical Sky Mirror Salt Lake up close. The outer lake resembles a vast blue sea, while the mirror lake shines like emerald jade. Due to varying salt concentrations, this creates a unique "two-tone lake" view. The mirror lake features distinctive walkways with creative designs, including [Descending Koi], [Four-Leaf Clover], [Eternal Diamond], and [Salt Heart Path]. The train on the lake perfectly recreates the iconic water railway scene from classic anime, harmonizing with the salt lake and sky to evoke a fairytale romance. Chaka Salt Lake at night is a favored observation spot for international stargazers and ranks among the top ten photography bases along the "Golden Silk Road". Here, you don't need to look up to see the starry sky—it surrounds you completely. It's a romantic stroll under the stars, a snapshot of timeless moments. The sunset at Chaka Salt Lake is unlike any other in the world - where ethereal hues fill your vision and gentle breezes intoxicate the evening glow. About featured experiences Experience the unique charm of camel riding and the thrilling excitement of ATV adventures, while our highland playground lets you revel in the crystal-clear waters and azure skies. Live-action horse performance Qinghai Province's first large-scale immersive performance series, "Impressions of Chaka," is a multi-category spectacular production deeply rooted in Chaka's rich historical and cultural heritage. The show features captivating performances such as "Grassland Hero - Genghis Khan," "Knight's Parade," "Salt Lake Flying Dance," and "Great Khan's Welcome Opening Dance," vividly showcasing the region's diverse ethnic history and culture. The highlight, the grand historical reenactment "Grassland Hero - Genghis Khan," features dozens of performers and warhorses executing breathtaking equestrian stunts like mounted archery, mid-air leaps, spinning maneuvers, and upside-down riding, recreating the Khan's epic historical journey. Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Qilian Mountains under the open sky, this performance is an unmissable experience for visitors to Chaka. High-altitude Glass Water Slide The lakeside high-altitude glass water slide offers breathtaking views of the vast salt lake, the snow-capped peaks of the Kunlun Mountains year-round, and the sweeping vistas of the Gobi Desert and Qilian Mountains. Built by the lake, it provides two thrilling experiences: admiring the salt lake scenery from above while taking in the expansive meadows of the Tibetan Plateau, and feeling the rush of speed and excitement. Featured campsites At the entrance of the attraction, the Chaka Sky One Hotel (Sky One Scenic Area Branch) is a modern, lightly luxurious hotel built to high standards. Whether you choose to experience the Mongolian camp for a taste of frontier life, stay in a refined RV park, or book a room at the Starlight Bubble Hotel—where each unit is named after a constellation and offers a private retreat with curtains that reveal a dazzling night sky—you'll find unforgettable accommodations. Spend the night in the scenic area to admire the Salt Lake's nighttime beauty and the brilliance of the starry sky. Wake up to a special sunrise experience, strolling in the morning light as if walking through a fairyland. As the sun rises, immerse yourself in the unique charm of the Mirror Salt Lake. Plateau Dead Sea Floating Pavilion The "Plateau Dead Sea Floating Hall," designed with elements inspired by Chaka's Great Green Salt and salt lake reflections, is a unique salt therapy wellness experience destination in Chaka. The venue offers visitors a relaxing way to enjoy the magical pleasures of innovative salt lake experiential tourism, including floating on saltwater, applying salt mud, playing with salt sand, steaming in salt rooms, inhaling salt mist, resting on salt beds, and sleeping in salt caves—all of which effectively alleviate travel fatigue..Ulan · 66 km from downtown
Sky Mirror Experience Area
Sky Mirror Experience Area is located in Chaka Town, Ulan County, Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai Province, and is the core highlight of the Chaka Salt Lake scenic area. It attracts many tourists to check in with its unique natural scenery and rich travel experiences. The terrain here is flat, and the lake water has an extremely high salt content, possessing strong mirror reflection capabilities that can clearly reflect the blue sky, white clouds, snow-capped mountains, and other scenery. This creates a beautiful landscape where the water reflects the sky, the sky connects to the earth, and people walk in the lake as if traveling through a painting, earning it the reputation as the "Sky Mirror of China." Sky Mirror Experience Area offers a diverse range of activities, striving to ensure every visitor has a great travel experience. In addition, Chaka Salt Lake is also a great spot for stargazing, where visitors can capture beautiful images of the starry sky. During certain seasons, visitors can also witness unique local wonders that are truly memorable.Ulan · 57.8 km from downtown
Sightseeing Tower, Chaka Salt Lake Scenic Area
The Chaka Salt Lake Scenic Area-Observation Tower adopts an open structure design to provide tourists with a good landscape view. The top of the tower is a large terrace, and standing on the platform, you can have a panoramic view of the beautiful scenery of the Chaka Salt Lake Scenic Area. The observation tower covers an area of about 125 square meters and is about 28 meters high. It consists of two steel structure stairs and a sightseeing elevator. The top open-air viewing platform can accommodate nearly 100 people for sightseeing at the same time. Looking far into the distance, the salt lake is like a huge mirror, reflecting the clear sky and continuous mountains. The water and sky are connected, and the scenery is magnificent. The white salt beach shines in the sunlight, and the sightseeing train slowly drives along the rails to the depths of the salt lake, adding agile beauty to the picture. When the weather is fine, you can even see the silhouette of the snow-capped mountains in the distance. Photographers can use fixed brackets to capture the fleeting beauty of the "mirror of the sky" and record the magical moments of salt crystals and light and shadow.Ulan · 56.4 km from downtown
Sky Mirror Square
The Sky Mirror Square in Wulan, Chinais located in the Chaka Salt Lake Scenic Area in Wulan County, Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province. It is the core landscape area of this "China Sky Mirror". There is an observation deck in the center of the square, where visitors can enjoy the magnificent scenery of the Chaka Salt Lake in 360 degrees. On sunny days, the lake surface is like a mirror, reflecting the blue sky and white clouds, forming a magical scene of "water and sky in one color". There are also rainbow squares, salt sculptures such as the giant West Queen Mother salt sculpture and ethnic customs display areas around it, showing the ecological art and salt culture of the Chaka Salt Lake. In addition, the square provides special snacks, handicraft shopping and other services to facilitate tourists to experience the local customs in depth. As a landmark attraction of the Chaka Salt Lake, the Sky Mirror Square not only enhances the overall image of the scenic area, but also becomes a popular check-in place for tourists to shoot the "Sky Mirror" effect. It is especially recommended to go there in summer and autumn, when the light is ideal.Ulan · 56.9 km from downtown
Chaka Sky No. 1 Scenic Area - Sightseeing Train Boarding Point
Ulan · 65.9 km from downtown
Sky Mirror Station
Ulan · 56.9 km from downtown
Chaka Salt Lake Scenic Area - Viewing Platform
Ulan · 56.8 km from downtown
The Oldest Tourist Train at Chaka Salt Lake
Ulan · 66.7 km from downtown
Dulansi
Ulan · 15.7 km from downtown
Experiences you can't miss in Ulan
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What travelers say about Ulan
M58***07October 22, 2026
5.0
During the off-season, there are few tourists at the scenic area, and many facilities are not in operation. The scenery is not at its best, but because there are few people, experiencing a solo walk around the salt lake is still quite enjoyable.
Chaka Salt Lake
Anonymous userOctober 8, 2026
4.0
Chaka is divided into Chaka Sky Mirror and Chaka No. 1. Sky Mirror is the older scenic area, more crowded, with complete facilities and equipment, great photo opportunities, and better management, but definitely more crowded with long queues. Sky No. 1 is a newly developed scenic area, less crowded, quieter, allowing for more leisurely photography, but the scenery is far inferior, and management is practically nonexistent. Choose the scenic area based on your needs.
Chaka Sky No.1 Scenic Area
涟峥September 13, 2024
5.0
The Chaka Salt Lake Observation Tower is a viewing facility that uses an open steel structure tower. It covers an area of about 124.74 square meters and is 27.84 meters high. It consists of two steel structure staircases and a sightseeing elevator. The open-air viewing platform on the top of the tower can accommodate 90 people at the same time for sightseeing on the top floor, providing a good viewing angle. Standing on the platform, you can have a panoramic view of the entire scenic area and overlook the core tourist area. On the south side of the observation tower is the tourist service center, and the ticket price is 20 yuan per person per time. In addition, the observation tower is located outside the scenic area, providing an opportunity to overlook the panoramic view of the salt lake from a high altitude, and you may also be able to see snow-capped mountains in the distance. The Chaka Salt Lake Observation Tower is not only an excellent place to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Chaka Salt Lake, but also an important part of experiencing the beautiful scenery of "walking in the lake, like swimming in a painting" in this paradise on earth.
Sightseeing Tower, Chaka Salt Lake Scenic Area
l779566311December 4, 2021
5.0
Arriving at Chaka Salt Lake, the scenic area is very large. After entering the scenic area, you will see the first attraction, Sky Realm. You can take a small train and get off at the first stop, or you can get off at the end, and then walk back to visit, which is more energy-saving.
Sky Mirror Square
- 铮宝麻麻August 3, 2025
5.0
Standing on the shores of Chaka Salt Lake, the sky and water complement each other, creating a dreamlike, mirror-like world. White salt crystals pave the way to the horizon, and a gentle breeze creates ripples, reflecting the rolling clouds. This is a mirror of the sky, a pure land for the soul, where every scene speaks of the purity and tranquility of nature. Strolling through the lake, feeling the purity and vastness of the salt lake, it soothes a weary soul with the most gentle comfort.
Chaka Salt Lake Scenic Area - Viewing Platform
自驾走八方March 8, 2023
5.0
Han and Tibetan Buddhism coexist, and the popularity of incense is very strong.
Dulansi
