#Xiechi Lake Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Jul)
Lakes
Address:
Yanhu, Yuncheng, Shanxi, China
Opening times:
Opening hours TBDTemporarily Closed
Recommended sightseeing time:
3-5 hour
Phone:
0359-8966737,0359-8968888
Yuncheng, the city of salt transportation
From Jincheng to Yuncheng, the southernmost city of Shanxi, the terrain is a basin, especially hot and stuffy. Yuncheng was anciently known as 'Hedong' and got its name from being the 'city of salt transportation'. A huge salt lake spans across the city area, one of the world's three largest sodium sulfate-type inland salt lakes. Its salt content is similar to the Middle East's 'Dead Sea', hence it is acclaimed as the 'Chinese Dead Sea'. Standing by the salt pond, it resembles the sea with vast and misty waves, the lake water is deep blue with a hint of brown, one wonders if an aerial shot would have the colorful effect of an eyeshadow palette. Yuncheng Museum does not have too many bronzes, instead, it focuses on the cultural significance of local celebrities such as Guan Gong and Sima Guang. The old street, Ganyi Street, is lined with statues telling the stories of Guan Gong, and through the Chinese-style archway on the street, one can see the Catholic church built during the Qing Dynasty on the opposite side. Both in one frame, they together shape the rich and colorful history of Yuncheng.
SerenitySiren7890
The Mystery of the Colorful Yuncheng Salt Lake
🌟 Highlights:
The colors of the Yuncheng Salt Lake are like nature's palette, stunningly beautiful like a fairy tale.
Background: Yuncheng Salt Lake is one of the three great salt lakes in the world, formed about 50 million years ago during the Tertiary Himalayan orogeny of the Cenozoic era.
👍 Most Recommended:
✅ Must Experience: Yuncheng Salt Lake is known as China's 'Dead Sea'. Floating in its waters, one does not sink, attracting many tourists who call it the 'Chinese Dead Sea'.
✅ Must Experience: The salt lake is home to over 150 species of animals, including well-known birds such as flamingos, whooper swans, and common cranes. These migratory birds visit every year, making bird watchers linger and forget to return.
✅ Must Experience: Saltwater floating. Floating in the saltwater relaxes the body and mind.
✅ Must Experience: Black mud bathing for health. Applying the black mud of Yuncheng Salt Lake makes the skin smoother and more elastic.
✅ Must Experience: Mineral water spa. The pressure of the water provides pure enjoyment to the body.
Come to Yuncheng Salt Lake and experience the charm of this colorful salt lake, and feel the wonderful power of nature for yourself!
Turner-~Abigail-13
Yuncheng Salt Lake | China's Dead Sea, the treasure basin of Hedong
Yuncheng Salt Lake, also known as China's Dead Sea, is located in the southern Shanxi basin and is a mesmerizing natural wonder. Here, the lake water is clear, and the salt is pure, resembling a mirror embedded in the earth. To understand Yuncheng Salt Lake, one must start from the Pool Salt Museum.
✅ Pool Salt Museum
Yuncheng was anciently known as 'Hedong' and got its name from being the 'city of salt transport', which is one of the important birthplaces of Chinese civilization; it is also a 'city of good fortune' that has been blessed by heaven since ancient times.
In ancient history, for a considerable length of time, 'salt tax' was the nation's second-largest income after 'land tax'. In ancient times, Yuncheng salt pools were indeed a 'treasure basin'.
The ancient salt pools were called Yanze, Gu (gǔ), also known as Jiechi, Hedong Salt Pool, etc. The area around Yuncheng Salt Pool is high, with a low center, forming a depression, with a total area of 130 square kilometers, and is a natural inland salt lake. It contains rich resources, including salt and saltpeter, as well as magnesium sulfate, calcium sulfate, potassium, bromine, boron, and other rare elements, making it a natural 'Lake of Ten Thousand Treasures'.
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📝 Practical Tips:
📍 Detailed Address | Inside the Salt Pool Cultural Expo Park on Jiefang South Road, Salt Lake District
🕙 Opening Hours | 8:30-18:00
🆓 Ticket Price | 18.8 for an all-inclusive ticket, including Pool God Temple, city wall, Pool God Museum, light show, insect exhibition, etc
✅ Salt Lake No. 22 Dam
Opposite the Pool Salt Museum is the salt lake. Strolling along the shore of the salt lake, one can savor the beauty of the salt lake. Under the sunlight, the lake water sparkles with enchanting colors, reflecting the blue sky and white clouds, stirring the city's reflection in the waves, as if in a dreamlike world.
Looking into the distance, the rippling blue water of the lake and the vast white saltpeter piles complement each other like a painting. The salt content in the water of Yuncheng Salt Lake is extremely high, allowing people to float in the water without sinking, as if in a fairyland, also known as 'China's Dead Sea'.
During the hottest time of the summer each year, the salt pools are divided into small blocks due to previous mining, and the concentration of components such as potassium and sodium varies, as well as the breeding of salt algae and brine shrimp in the lake. Under high temperatures and strong light, the 'colorful salt lake' spectacle is formed.
Wandering Foodie
Yuncheng, Shanxi Self-Driving Day Trip Itinerary
For those interested in history, you must visit Yuncheng in Shanxi
As one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization
The 5000-year cultural heritage is astonishing
Follow this 2-day self-driving tour guide for Yuncheng and let's go!
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🗺Itinerary Planning
Day1️⃣ Macun Brick Carving Tomb - Feiyun Tower - Pujiu Temple - Guanque Tower, stay in Yongji
Day2️⃣ Yongle Palace - Salt Lake - Guandi Temple, stay in Yuncheng or return trip
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Day1️⃣ Travel Guide
🌈Macun Brick Carving Tomb
🎫Ticket: 20 yuan
📍Address: Macun, Xidi Township, 2.5 kilometers west of Jishan County, Yuncheng
⏰Opening hours: 9:00-17:00
✔️If it's not open on time, call the phone number at the entrance, the caretaker lives within the scenic area
The lady opening the door in the underground tomb is a must-see
It adds a playful touch to the otherwise somber tomb
The courtyard buildings above ground are also quite distinctive
⚠️No photography allowed inside the tomb📸❌
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🚘Macun Brick Carving Tomb➡️Feiyun Tower 35min drive
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🌈Wanrong Dongyue Temple·Feiyun Tower
🎫Ticket: 20 yuan
📍Address: No. 8, West Street, Yuncheng City District
⏰Opening hours: 8:00-18:00
The scenic area is small, if you just stroll around, it can be done in half an hour
It is recommended to spend all the time on Feiyun Tower
As the number one wooden tower in China
The dougong (bracket sets) of the entire tower are very impressive
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🚘Feiyun Tower➡️Pujiu Temple 1.5h drive
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🌈Pujiu Temple
🎫Ticket: Peak season 60 yuan, off-season 50 yuan
📍Address: On the top of Emei Plateau, 3 kilometers east of Puzhou Ancient City, Yongji, Yuncheng
⏰Opening hours: April-October 08:00-18:00; November-March next year 09:00-17:00
A temple full of romantic love
The Mandarin Duck Tower at the highest point is a must-visit
Climbing is required but it's not difficult
Unfortunately, for protection, it is no longer possible to climb the tower for a visit
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🚘Pujiu Temple➡️Guanque Tower 10min drive
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🌈Guanque Tower
🎫Ticket: Original price 60 yuan (online ticket purchase is more favorable)
📍Address: Puzhou Town, Yongji, Yuncheng
⏰Opening hours: Winter 09:00-17:00; Summer 08:30-18:00
Although it is a replica, it is very exquisite
🉑️Take the elevator to the top of the tower first
Admire the magnificent view of the Yellow River described in Wang Zhihuan's poem
Then walk down to appreciate the architectural features of each floor
The lights at night💡give off a feeling of the grand Tang Dynasty
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Day2️⃣ Travel Guide
🌈Yongle Palace
🎫Ticket: 45 yuan
📍Address: About 2 kilometers north of Ruicheng County, Yuncheng, in the town of Guwei
⏰Opening hours: 09:00-17:00
The mural of 'Chao Yuan Tu' in the Sanqing Hall of Yongle Palace is a must-see
The entire Taoist temple was relocated and rebuilt to protect it
In addition, Yongle Palace, as a fine Yuan Dynasty building
The exterior of the building is also worth understanding and appreciating
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🚘Yongle Palace➡️Salt Lake 1h drive
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🌈Salt Lake
🎫Ticket: Peak season 60 yuan, off-season 50 yuan
📍Address: No. 365, Jiefang South Road, Salt Lake District, Yuncheng
⏰Opening hours: April-October 9:00-22:00, November-March next year 10:30-21:00
If you want to see the colorful salt lake landscape, go in July-August
The hotter it is, the more beautiful it is
There is no color in winter but there are 🈶 nitre crystals
The scenic area is closed recently so you can only check in with a drone
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🚘Salt Lake➡️Guandi Temple 30min drive
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🌈Guandi Temple
🎫Ticket: Peak season 60 yuan, off-season 50 yuan
📍Address: Jiezhou Village, Jiezhou Town, Salt Lake District, Yuncheng (It is recommended to navigate to 'Jiezhou Guandi Temple Ticket Office')
⏰Opening hours: Peak season 8:00-18:00, off-season 9:00-18:00 (ticket sales stop at 17:50)
The largest Guandi Temple in China, the hometown of Guan Gong
Come over via the Yuncheng Ring Expressway
🉑️Witness the 80-meter-tall statue of Guandi
Avoid the noon time for the best light and shadow📸photography in the temple
FLYNN SANTIAGO
Spring has arrived, and I've come to see the salt lake
Yuncheng Salt Lake, here I am. The salt lake in spring is quiet and serene, as vast as Yuncheng's sea. When summer and autumn come, this place turns into a world of vibrant colors. Yuncheng has been built and prospered because of the salt lake. The salt here has nourished the Chinese nation, becoming a common wealth for the entire Yuncheng Salt Lake area. The salt lake in spring is quiet, but it seems like I can hear the horn of the salt workers in my ears, feeling the scene of them working hard, sweating profusely. They shovel out salt, heap after heap, piling up like mountains, transporting it to all parts of the country, creating immense wealth for the government, making Yuncheng well-known throughout the world.
Elijah.Peterson@68
Northwest Five Provinces (Regions) Autumn Self-driving Tour (71): Invited to Yuncheng to visit the Salt Lake
On October 15, 2023, at 2:10 pm, our car crossed the Fengling Ferry Yellow River Bridge and entered Shanxi Province. This is the second time I have driven across this bridge. The last time was on September 5, 2018, when I drove out of Shanxi from this bridge and started my first long-distance self-driving tour of more than 25 days and over 6,000 kilometers.
At 3:20 pm, we arrived at Yuncheng Vienna International Hotel. Director Xi had been waiting at the hotel entrance. He opened two standard rooms for us. My sister told me that Director Xi had once asked her to treat him. Later, she also cured the diseases of Director Xi's wife and daughter. This time, Director Xi invited her to Yuncheng mainly to ask her to treat his aunts, and by the way, to show us the attractions of Yuncheng.
After resting in the hotel for 40 minutes, Director Xi drove us to visit Yuncheng Salt Lake. Yuncheng Salt Lake is located in the belly of the Jinan Basin, at the bend of the Yellow River in Qin, Jin and Yu, with Zhongtiao Mountain to the south, Emei Mingtiao Gang to the north, Yao Tai of Sui River to the east, and the ancient crossing of the Yellow River to the west. The lake surface is 324.5 meters above sea level, the deepest part is about 6 meters, and the total area is 132 square kilometers.
Yuncheng Salt Lake is divided into two parts by the tourist road extended from Jiefang South Road. The west side is the big lake, the lake is endless, and you can enjoy the sunset view from the side of the tourist road. The east side of the tourist road is the salt field, and the famous colorful salt lake is next to the tourist road.
Director Xi first took us to the salt fields on the east side, where there are thousands of silver islands. The car drove east along the North Shore Binhu Avenue, entered the lake area next to Shanxi Damao Engineering Machinery Co., Ltd., and then continued to drive east. The salt fields along the road were full of alkali bulrush, which was bright red. Isn't this the scenery we want to see in Liaoning Red Beach! I wanted to ask Director Xi to stop the car, but he seemed to have not heard it, and drove straight onto a large dike in the lake. A new tourist road was built on the dike, with red, yellow and blue lines representing the tourist road in the middle of the road, and many Persian chrysanthemums were planted on both sides of the road.
According to Director Xi himself, he is a self-driving tour and photography enthusiast. He often participates in photography competitions held in various places. I thought he would take us to a place where we can take pictures. As a result, he let us get off the car in the middle of the dike and let us walk on the dike. He will wait for us at the end of the dike. We got off the car and walked forward along the dike, taking pictures as we walked. When we were about to reach the end of the dike, Director Xi pointed to a beach in the lake for my sister and said that was where he took that photo. I don't know what he meant, but my sister should be very clear.
At 5:30 in the afternoon, he asked us to get in the car, and then rushed all the way, arriving at an artificial island on the central lake dike of the salt lake at 5:50 in the afternoon, letting us take pictures of the sunset of the salt lake.
Then he took us to see the Begonia Bay Phase II villa group on the south bank of the lake, Nanshan Xinjing Citizen Square Ecological Sports Park, Yuncheng Viper Rugby Club, and finally let us stand next to Kailai International Resort Hotel to enjoy the night view of the salt lake and let the children fly kites.
At 7 o'clock in the evening, Director Xi took us to dinner. After dinner, I walked back to the hotel, and he took others to visit the night market until 9:30 in the evening when they returned to the hotel.