There are thousands of lakes in the People's Republic of China, including 945 saltwater lakes and 166 salt lakes. [1]
The Database of Chinese Lakes provides data on China's salt lakes. Changes in water level, environment, and human activities may increase or decrease the size of each lakes over time. [2]
The five largest saltwater lakes in China include:
| English Name | Chinese Name | Province | Area (Square Kilometre) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qinghai Lake | 青海湖 | Qinghai | 4340 |
| Namtso | 纳木错 | Tibet | 1961.5 |
| Siling Lake | 色林错 | Tibet | 1628 |
| Ulungur Lake | 乌伦古湖 | Xinjiang | 753 |
| Yamdrok Lake | 羊卓雍错 | Tibet | 638 |
| English Name | Chinese Name | Province | Location | Area (Square Kilometer) | Current Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qarhan Playa | 察尔汗干盐湖 | Qinghai | 36°55′N94°45′E / 36.917°N 94.750°E | 5856 | Divided into smaller salt lakes |
| Lop Nor | 罗布泊 | Xinjiang | 40°20′N90°38′E / 40.333°N 90.633°E | 5500 | Dried up |
| Kunteyi Salt Lake | 昆特依干盐湖 | Qinghai | 38°52′N93°5′E / 38.867°N 93.083°E | 1680 | Divided into smaller salt lakes |
| Manas Lake | 玛纳斯湖 | Xinjiang | 45°48′N85°58′E / 45.800°N 85.967°E | 577.8 | Shrank into a wetland |
| Dalangtan Salt Lake | 大浪滩干盐湖 | Qinghai | 38°30′N91°29′E / 38.500°N 91.483°E | 500 | Divided into smaller salt lakes |
| | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding missing information. (August 2014) |
| English Name | Chinese Name | Province | Area (km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chaka | 茶卡盐湖 | Qinghai | 116 |
| Dabiele | 大别勒湖 | Qinghai | 7.4 |
| Dabusun | 达布逊湖 | Qinghai | 184–334 |
| Ebi | 艾比湖 | Xinjiang | 500 |
| Gahai | 尕海 | Qinghai | 47 |
| North Hulsan | 北霍布逊湖 | Qinghai | 0–90 |
| Rakshastal | 拉昂错 | Tibet | 269 |
| South Hulsan | 南霍布逊湖 | Qinghai | 33 |
| Suli | 涩聂湖 | Qinghai | 69–85 |
| Tuanjie | 团结湖 | Qinghai | 6 |
| West Dabusun | 西大布逊湖 | Qinghai | 0–30 |
| Xiaobiele | 小别勒湖 | Qinghai | 6.3 |
| Xiezuo | 协作湖 | Qinghai | 17 |
| Zabuye | 扎布耶茶卡 | Tibet | 247 |