Northwest China Leisure Tour 23.

September 29, 2024 Day 39: Ruoqiang - Mangya Emerald Lake - China Railway No. 5 Engineering Group On the way from Ruoqiang to Mangya, you will pass by the Lop Nur Wild Camel National Nature Reserve (there is a sign). However, due to the speed and distance, it is difficult to take good photos. The distance from Milan Service Area to Mangya City is nearly 300 km, and it is a no-man's land, so remember to fill up your tank. It was raining and snowing at Shitougou Bridge, and the temperature was 1°C. The rain and snow fell on the windshield, making a slight "rustling" sound, like a gentle chant of nature, which made me feel peaceful. Mangya Emerald Lake is located on the eastern edge of Gasi Lake, a beautiful man-made lake. The salt lake has been mined for many years, forming pits of different depths. Due to the different concentrations of minerals, the lake water presents a variety of colors, including light blue, emerald green, and dark blue. The salt in Emerald Lake is as white as mutton fat, and the water is as green as jade, like an emerald inlaid in the Gobi Desert. There are several photo spots, such as the "salt" road, "salt" viewing platform, "salt flowers", transparent boats, and romantic bridges. Walk on the saltiest road and enjoy the most beautiful scenery. At Emerald Lake, you can not only enjoy the pure and clear lake water, but also look far into the brown mountains with folds - Hero Ridge. Hero Ridge and the white and green Emerald Lake complement each other, adding a touch of tenderness to the Mangya Silk Road post station where Zhang Qian, an envoy of the Han Dynasty, passed by. After leaving the gas station at Old Mangya (the intersection of G315 and G318), we planned to stay overnight at the Old Mangya Work Area on G315. However, it was dark and we couldn't see clearly, so we drove onto G318 by mistake. We had no choice but to keep going (there is said to be a work area 10 km away). We arrived at the work area of China Railway No. 5 Engineering Group. There was no hotel in the work area, so we had to spend the night in the car. Tips 1. The shuttle bus in the scenic area goes around the lake clockwise. Northwest China Leisure Tour 23.