From "One Pool of Snow" to "Seven Colored Lights" - The Transformation of a Thousand Year Salt Lake in Yuncheng, Shanxi Province: Ecological | Salt Lake | Transformation

"Nitrate is produced in winter and salt is produced in summer." Yuncheng Salt Lake is located at the northern foot of Zhongtiao Mountain and is known as "a pool of snow in Zhongtiao for thousands of years.". Yuncheng, Shanxi, thrived due to salt, was built due to salt, and was named after salt. A pool of lake water contains the historical code of this city.

In recent years, Yuncheng Millennium Salt Lake has ushered in new opportunities in its transformation and development, from salt ponds and industrial zones to tourist check-in areas, ecological protection areas, and scientific research bases, achieving a magnificent transformation from "a pool of snow" to "seven colored lights".

During a recent inspection tour of the Salt Lake in Yuncheng, Shanxi Province, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the ecological value and function of the salt lake are becoming more and more important, and it is necessary to make overall efforts to protect and utilize the salt lake, so that the unique human, historical and ecological resources of the salt lake can be passed on from generation to generation, gradually restore its ecological function, and better protect its historical and cultural value.

From "using salt" to "looking at the lake", the transformation of millennium salt lakes into new functions

In early summer, groups of three to five anti billed sandpipers spread their wings and skimmed over the surface of the salt lake. Zhongtiao Mountain, blue sky and white clouds are reflected on the surface of the lake, complementing the colorful salt lake... forming a vivid landscape.

In the eyes of photography enthusiast Zhang Weiping, salt lakes have different beauty in every season. But he only loves the salt lakes in the hot summer. The colors of the salt lakes in July and August are even brighter. Standing from a high place, they look as red as silk and as green as jade... The endless salt lakes are like a palette of the earth.

This is a scene of Yuncheng Salt Lake taken on May 17th. Photo by Yang Chenguang, journalist from Xinhua News Agency

"The concentration of potassium, sodium and other components in the lake varies, and with the proliferation of salt algae and brine shrimp, under the action of high temperature and strong light, it forms the wonder of the 'Colorful Salt Lake'," said Sun Dongqing, director of the Salt Lake Ecological Protection and Development Center in Yuncheng City.

Unlike now, Yuncheng Salt Lake used to be a place of origin for edible and inorganic salts. The salt lake, with a history of over 4600 years of salt mining, is located at the foot of Zhongtiao Mountain and covers an area of 132 square kilometers. It is one of the three largest sodium sulfate type inland salt lakes in the world.

In history, humans separated salt lakes into rows during the salt production process, and these small lakes of different sizes and shapes were scattered throughout the salt ponds.

With the large-scale development of sea salt and well salt, the production of edible salt in the Millennium Salt Lake gradually stopped in the 1980s and shifted to the development of chemical products such as mirabilite and anhydrous sodium sulfate. In the memory of Zhang Kai, a citizen of Yuncheng born in the 1980s, there were many old salt factories around the salt lake in his childhood. In winter, he could see densely packed people producing nitrate on the salt lake beach, and the lake surface was as white as snow. It felt like this was an industrial production base.

According to the principle of "ecological priority, protection as the main focus, and moderate development", in September 2020, Yuncheng City completely stopped industrial production activities within the salt lake area. In recent years, the millennium salt lake has been transitioning towards a "green development" of ecological protection, landscape reshaping, industrial transformation, and comprehensive tourism, accelerating the construction of nationally renowned cultural, tourism, health and wellness demonstration zones and international tourism destinations.

The Binhu Avenue on the north bank of the Salt Lake, formerly known as the Salt Chemical Factory, is now adorned with six colorful characters called "Salt Chemical Industry Ruins," and the chimneys and factory buildings behind them exude a strong sense of time. The painted exterior, wooden walkways, pavilions, and green spaces tell the story of the "green rebirth" of the salt lake.

From "dirty, messy and poor" to "check-in area", the millennium old salt lake presents a new appearance

Located in the middle section of Cross Lake Avenue, it is an observation platform for the Salt Lake. Citizens are here to relax, cool off, sing and dance. Salt Lake winds blow waves, and tourists often take out their phones to take photos.

Citizens take photos at Yuncheng Salt Lake. Photo by Yang Chenguang, journalist from Xinhua News Agency

Traveling along Binhu Avenue, several excavators are carrying out embankment reinforcement work at Xiaogongtan in the eastern section of Salt Lake. Yang Suping, Deputy General Manager of Yuncheng Water Investment and Construction Development Co., Ltd., responsible for the salt lake ecological restoration project, said that in the past, some of these embankments were piled up with garbage and overgrown with weeds, while others were severely damaged and uneven, posing a risk of embankment collapse.

"This repair will be carried out by leveling and reinforcing the original axis of the salt lake, keeping the direction and texture of the embankment unchanged, and further moisturizing, insulation, and erosion prevention through greening." Yang Suping explained that in the past year of construction, 80 kilometers of the embankment have been repaired, completing 40% of the first phase of the project.

Starting from 2021, the local salt lake ecological restoration project will be launched, including embankment improvement, river dredging, and garbage disposal, to restore the salt lake to its rightful ecological appearance.

At the same time, by formulating and issuing the "Salt Lake Ecological Protection and Restoration Plan" and the "Yuncheng Salt Lake Protection Regulations", the local government continues to increase efforts in salt lake ecological protection and restoration, reduce industrial and mineral development, and vigorously restore the original appearance of the "lake".

A few kilometers away from Xiaogongtan, in Chiyou Village, Dongguo Town, a brand new "Rainbow Road" extends along the repaired embankment and old transportation road, with occasional cycling and self driving enthusiasts passing by.

This is a photo taken on May 17th of Chiyou Village, Dongguo Town, Yanhu District, Yuncheng City. Photo by Yang Chenguang, journalist from Xinhua News Agency

The villagers along the coast have a deep understanding of the changes in the ecological environment of salt lakes. "When salt and chemical mining was severe in the past, when encountering windy weather, residents along the lake dared not open windows, and the white powder of mirabilite blew into the house at any time," recalled Cao Susheng, a villager from Chiyou Village.

Nowadays, in villages around Salt Lake, muddy dirt roads have been transformed into clean and tidy greenways, and many people have opened farmhouses, restaurants, and picking gardens to attract passing tourists to stop and stop.

In the evening, with the wind blowing from the southern mountains, one can quietly gaze at the colorful salt lake from afar... A series of lively and dynamic short videos have received thousands of likes, making the small villages around the salt lake attract countless fans online.

According to data from relevant departments in Yuncheng City, more than 700000 tourists visited Salt Lake for sightseeing during the Spring Festival and May Day in 2023, with a comprehensive tourism income of over 18 million yuan.

Diao Haipeng, Deputy Mayor of Yuncheng City, said that in recent years, salt lakes have gradually become a good place for citizens to visit mountains, water, and nature through activities such as the Chiyan Culture Tourism Week and the Lake Tour Cycling Race.

From historical culture to scientific research value, the millennium salt transportation culture injects new connotations

The Hedong Pool Salt Museum, located adjacent to the north bank of the salt lake and embedded in the ancient city wall, is quite distinctive. Curator Pan Haizhen said that the museum has utilized the restored wall space of the Forbidden Gate Site in the salt pond, making it the only professional museum in China that comprehensively showcases ancient pool salt culture. After its opening in November 2021, with the ecological restoration of the salt lake, visiting the salt lake and museums has become a must visit route for many tourists.

This is an outdoor shot of the Hedong Pool Salt Museum taken on May 17th. Photo by Yang Chenguang, journalist from Xinhua News Agency

This exhibition hall, which condenses the salt culture of Yuncheng for over 4000 years, attracts tourists of different ages to visit. Guo Yaqin, a citizen who is currently visiting the museum, used to be a custodian of the former Salt and Chemical Bureau Color Printing Factory. She has lived in this area with her parents since childhood and witnessed the transformation from the factory to the museum and scenic area. "I visited the museum for the third time. This time, my son came back from another city and took him to see the old photos and objects here, telling stories from the past."

The thousands of years of salt transportation history have created a rich culture of pool salt, leaving behind cultural heritage units such as the Salt Pool Forbidden Wall, the Yuban Ancient Salt Road, and the Pool God Temple; The five step salt production method, which has been passed down for thousands of years, has been listed as a national intangible cultural heritage. "This skill, which has been passed down orally and passed down from generation to generation, is now only mastered by a few veteran workers," said Sun Dongqing. The local government is planning to revive this ancient salt making technique and pass it on.

Yuncheng Salt Lake not only accumulates rich historical and cultural heritage, but also carries extremely high scientific research value. In late May, a research team from the School of Life Sciences at Sun Yat sen University went deep into the hinterland of salt lakes to collect data samples for microbial diversity research. According to experts, the purpose of this collection and analysis is to study the protection and application development of microbial germplasm resources diversity in Yuncheng Salt Lake.

"In recent years, the abundant flora and fauna resources in Zhongtiao Mountain and salt ponds have attracted more and more universities and scientific research teams to visit." Guan Yan, Deputy Director of the Yuncheng Salt Lake Ecological Protection and Development Center, said that now, the Yuncheng Salt Protection Center has set up five doctoral studios and three field appearance measurement points to carry out salt lake environmental scientific drilling projects and multiple scientific research on microorganisms, atmospheric aerosols, ancient environment and climate, and salt lake aquatic organisms.

A building is also a witness to the changes in the cultural connotations of a millennium old salt lake. The Salt Lake Ecological Protection and Development Center in Yuncheng City, located on the north bank of the Salt Lake, was renovated from the former site of the Salt and Chemical Bureau's color printing factory. The function of this building has also changed from "production" to "protection". Entering the biodiversity exhibition hall, hundreds of specimens of flora and fauna from Zhongtiao Mountain and Salt Lake were collected.

Guan Yan said that this is not only a research base, but also a science popularization education on salt lake biodiversity to enhance the public's awareness of protecting the ecology of salt lakes. We strive to practice the concept that "green mountains and clear waters are like mountains of gold and silver", so that ecological salt lakes can benefit future generations.

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