[Dachaidan Emerald Lake: The Ultimate Guide] God's forgotten palette!

🌟[Dachaidan Emerald Lake: The Ultimate Guide] God's forgotten palette! Transportation, photography, and tips to avoid pitfalls✨ 📍 Why visit Emerald Lake? This is Qinghai's "Emerald on Earth," a hidden gem certified by *National Geographic*! Due to varying mineral concentrations, the lake displays dreamy colors like Tiffany blue, emerald green, and amber yellow. With salt flats like snow, reflecting the snow-capped mountains and blue sky, it resembles scattered gems on the earth. Compared to the crowded Chaka Salt Lake, this place is more niche and pure, every shot is a "sky mirror" blockbuster!💎 🚗 Transportation Guide｜How to get there? 1⃣ Airplane + Self-drive - Xining/Lanzhou → Dunhuang/Golmud Airport, rent a car after landing and self-drive (about 4-5 hours) 2⃣ Train + Chartered car - Xining → Dachaidan Station (6 hours), carpool or charter a car after arriving at the station (about 50 yuan/person) directly to the scenic area 3⃣ Qinghai-Gansu loop self-drive - Depart from Xining → Qinghai Lake → Chaka Salt Lake → Emerald Lake (about 700 km in total, with stunning scenery along the way) 4⃣ Transportation within the scenic area - Round-trip small train for 60 yuan (recommended to sit on the left side), 6 stations connecting the core lake group, the last train is at 20:30, if you miss it, you need to walk 🌟 Must-see attractions｜One-day tour highlights Morning: Realm of Purity - Lake No. 2 (Tiffany Blue Lake): The lake is as clear as glass, with snow-white salt flats. Wear a light-colored long dress to take reflection photos📸 - Lake No. 4 (Heart Lake): Exclusive for drones! Natural heart-shaped salt pool, a must-see romantic spot for couples💖 - Lake No. 5 (Filming location of *A Little Red Flower*): The same camera position as in the movie, the salt flats and lake water intertwine like an oil painting Afternoon: Exploring the hidden gems - Lake No. 6 (Long trailing sand beach): Lie down and take pictures of the "two-color lake" wonder, aerial photography of geometric salt fields with a drone - Rule of Law Train Experience: New gameplay in 2025! Take the legal-themed sightseeing bus and enjoy the scenery while learning about the law (the slogan on the front of the bus is perfect for photos) Evening: Sunset exclusive - Salt Lake Sunset: After 18:30, the lake surface is dyed golden, the small train passes by with a backlit silhouette, full of cinematic feel! 🏠 Accommodation recommendations｜Sleep in the Northwest style - Dachaidan Town: Top choice! Recommend "Sheer Hotel" and "Vienna Hotel," about 150 yuan per person, with complete facilities - Stargazing camping: Campground outside the scenic area (need to bring your own equipment), watch the Milky Way at night, and take sunrise photos in the morning🌌 - High-end experience: Mars Camp (1-hour drive), immersive sci-fi accommodation, suitable for photography enthusiasts 🍜 Food recommendations｜Northwest cuisine - Lamb cooked in a kang pot: "Ybula Special Kang Pot" in Dachaidan Town, the lamb is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, perfect with potato slices! - Lamb noodles: The first choice for locals' breakfast, the soup is fresh and the noodles are chewy, warming the stomach and dispelling the cold - Yak yogurt: Add highland barley flour and sugar, sweet and sour, 5 yuan/bowl 💡 Tips to avoid pitfalls｜Lessons learned 1. Ticket reservation: Tickets are 50 yuan, book 2 days in advance on the "Dachaidan Culture and Tourism" official account during peak season, small train tickets can be purchased on-site 2. Clothing guide: Bright long dress + windbreaker (temperature difference between morning and evening is 20℃), sunglasses + wide-brimmed hat for UV protection 3. Altitude sickness warning: Altitude is 3148 meters, avoid strenuous exercise, prepare oxygen bottles (20 yuan/bottle in town) 4. Environmental taboos: Do not touch the lake water! The salt content corrodes the skin, shoe covers are not necessary (you can walk directly on the salt flats) 5. Photography equipment: Drones are a must! Wide-angle lens + polarizer for reflection shots, ND filter for slow shutter speed water flow 📸 Photo spots - The end of Lake No. 2 boardwalk: Low angle shot of "lake and sky in one line" - White piano installation: Platform 5 of the small train, snow mountain + blue lake + artistic sense in the same frame🎹 - The front of the Rule of Law Train: The slogan "Rule of Law Train" + colorful lake surface, a blend of humanity and nature - Sunset salt flats: Backlit silhouette shots, salt crystals refracting golden light✨