Yuncheng, Shanxi, China

The Salt Lake Temple was founded in the 12th year of the Tang Dynasty's Dali era (777 AD). Historical records state that Emperor Dezong of Tang bestowed the Yuncheng Salt Lake the title of "Bao Ying Ling Qing Pool" and decreed the construction of a temple by the lake, enshrining the lake god as "Ling Qing Gong" and including it in the national sacrificial canon. The Lake God Temple is a shrine mainly for the worship of natural deities, a temple for praising and worshipping nature. Emperor Shun once played the five-stringed zither here and sang the 'Song of the South Wind' which goes, 'The balmy south wind can soothe the resentment of my people; the timely south wind can increase the wealth of my people.' The Salt Lake Temple is an important carrier of the Hedong salt culture, and in May 2013, it was announced by the State Council as the seventh batch of national key cultural relics protection units. Yuncheng Salt Lake is one of the world's three largest sodium sulfate-type inland salt lakes. Because its salt content is similar to the Middle East's 'Dead Sea,' people can float in the water without sinking, hence it is known as the 'Chinese Dead Sea.' Yuncheng Salt Lake is an ancient and typical inland saline lake. Geological research indicates that the lake was formed during the Himalayan orogenic movement in the Tertiary period of the Cenozoic era, with a history of about 50 million years. It extends from northeast to southwest, with a length of about 30 kilometers, a width of 3 to 5 kilometers, a lake surface elevation of 324.5 meters, a maximum depth of about 6 meters, and a total area of 132 square kilometers.