There are thousands of lakes in the People's Republic of China, including 945 saltwater lakes and 166 salt lakes.[1] Salt lakes and saltwater lakes are listed down there.
The Database of Chinese Lakes provided 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 | 36.9167°N 139°W | 5856 | Divided into smaller salt lakes | |
| Lop Nor | 罗布泊 | Xinjiang | 40.3333°N 128°W | 5500 | Dried up | |
| Kunteyi Salt Lake | 昆特依干盐湖 | Qinghai | 38.8667°N 98°W | 1680 | Divided into smaller salt lakes | |
| Manas Lake | 玛纳斯湖 | Xinjiang | 45.8°N 143°W | 577.8 | Shrank into a wetland | |
| Dalangtan Salt Lake | 大浪滩干盐湖 | Qinghai | 38.5°N 120°W | 500 | Divided into smaller salt lakes |
| English Name | Chinese Name | Province | Area (km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chaka | 茶卡盐湖 | Qinghai | 116 |
| Qinghai | 7.4 | ||
| Qinghai | 184–334 | ||
| Ebi | 艾比湖 | Xinjiang | 500 |
| Gahai | 尕海 | Qinghai | 47 |
| Qinghai | 0–90 | ||
| Rakshastal | 拉昂错 | Tibet | 269 |
| Qinghai | 33 | ||
| Qinghai | 69–85 | ||
| Qinghai | 6 | ||
| Qinghai | 0–30 | ||
| Qinghai | 6.3 | ||
| Qinghai | 17 | ||
| Tibet | 247 | ||