Rose Lake in the vast desert
One day in June, I happened to find an article about "Rose Lake" in a geographical magazine. I was deeply attracted by the picture in the picture, and I wanted to find out.
Rose Lake is actually a kind of salt lake, which is mostly distributed in the arid and semi-arid areas of Northwest my country. Because the lake water is red, it is vividly called "Rose Lake".
Unexpectedly, there is such a strange landscape hidden in the seemingly lifeless vast desert!
Thanks to suitable climatic conditions, the most densely populated salt lakes in my country are distributed in the Alashan region of Inner Mongolia, and there are as many as 400 salt lakes in the Tengger Desert alone.
Although there are many salt lakes, Rose Lake is still a very rare landscape, and one of them, Wulan Lake, was chosen for this trip.
Exploring the mysterious red Ulan Lake
Ulan Lake is located in the east of the Tengger Desert, the fourth largest desert in my country. Ulan means "red" in Mongolian, and is also known as "Red Sea" among the local population.
Although this mysterious red lake is not far from the edge of the desert, you cannot find it through map navigation. The only way is to drive an off-road vehicle under the leadership of a local guide.
In Tengger at noon, the sun is burning fiercely towards the earth. Even before officially entering the desert, the turbulent heat wave is still unbearable.
Starting from the desert reception station in Alxa Left Banner, the mobile phone lost its network signal not long after, and the roller coaster-like bumps also made looking at the mobile phone a burden.
The vast desert in front of you looks monotonous and lifeless, making it difficult for first-time tourists to identify the direction, but the guide can drive an off-road vehicle to shuttle freely among the sand dunes.
"This scene should only be in the sky"
About 20 kilometers deep into the desert, I was on the verge of motion sickness and vaguely saw a faint red in the distance.
Confirmed that it is not a mirage, Ulan Lake finally arrived.
I originally thought that the appreciation of Wulan Lake could only be seen from a distance, but I didn't expect that it would be amazing enough to go to the lake.
Under the sunshine, the lake water is shining with fascinating colors, and the uncanny workmanship of nature is so magical that people can't help sighing that "this scene should only exist in the sky".
Of course, overlooking from a high altitude is also a fixed operation to appreciate Ulan Lake.
Ulan Lake is composed of an irregular large lake and several small pearl-shaped lakes scattered beside it. The edge of the lake is mostly white saline base, dotted with many wine-red spots, exuding an irresistible lure.
The guide said that the lake water of Wulan Lake will change with the seasons. This season is just right for us. Due to the large amount of evaporation in summer, the viewing effect of Wulan Lake at this time is the best.
If it rained the day before, the creatures at the bottom of the lake would be stirred up, and the lake water would appear more intense red.
Cause of Rose Lake
Since the guide couldn't tell the specific cause of Rose Lake, in order to understand the reason, he had to go back and check the information.
In fact, similar landscapes are distributed in Inner Mongolia, Tibet, Shanxi and other places in my country, but the causes are slightly different. As far as the Desert Rose Lake in Alxa is concerned, the following three conditions must be met:
One is the low-lying terrain. The low-lying and closed terrain is conducive to the accumulation of surface and groundwater, especially in desert environments, where the lake water is not easy to completely dry up.
Second, the climate is dry. Rose Lake is first of all a salt lake, so only areas with little precipitation and high evaporation are conducive to the formation of salt lakes and the survival and reproduction of organisms in salt lakes.
The third is a large amount of biomass. The reason why Rose Lake is red is because of the three kinds of organisms in the lake: Artemia, Dunaliella salina and halophilic bacteria. It is the astaxanthin and carotenoids contained in them that "dyed" the lake water rose color.
In addition, this kind of rose lake is not static. The size, shape and color will change in different seasons. It is a rare landscape that can be encountered but not sought after.
Finally, I hope that tourists who come here can jointly protect the environment of Wulan Lake, so that this precious red can flow forever.
Travel Tips
[Location] Alxa Left Banner, Alxa League, Inner Mongolia (Eastern Tengger Desert)
[Traffic strategy] Depart from the Tonggu Zhuoer Sumu Reception Station in Alxa Left Banner and drive westward for about 20 kilometers (need to be driven by a local driver)
[Expense budget] 780 yuan / person (can apply for local small tour groups)
【Precautions】
1. Find a local qualified travel company and enter with a guide, beware of being deceived, and do not enter the desert privately;
2. Bring your own emergency supplies and food, wear high-top shoes, and do a good job of sun protection and sand protection for people and cameras;
3. There is no signal most of the time in the desert, please inform your family whereabouts in advance before departure, so as not to worry your family.
