China's Dead Sea turns pink

TAIYUAN -- The strange colors of a salt lake known as "China's Dead Sea" have attracted many visitors curious to catch a glimpse of the two-colored attraction.

Yuncheng Salt Lake in northern China's Shanxi province covers an area of 132 square meters. Sitting in the city of Yuncheng, its two colors make it look like a double-flavored hotpot, appearing green on one side and pink on the other.

"It looks beautiful," said a local resident.

According to the local publicity department, the pink side contains a chemical called Dunaliella salina, which changes it from the original green color.

The dual-colors have lasted for many years, and the view only disappears in winter when the lake dries up.

The lake is one of the three inland salt lakes with sodium sulfate in the world. The amount of salt it contains is similar to that of the Dead Sea and allows humans to float on it. According to geologists, the lake was formed about 50 million years ago.

Chinese people began making use of the lake at least 4,000 years ago. According to historical records, revenue from the salt produced by the lake accounted for about a quarter of the country's total salt revenue during the reign of Emperor Li Yu (766-779) in the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Today, the lake still produces salt for industrial use.