7 Days in Geermu: Salt Lakes & Basin Roads

Sixty-odd km north, the lake's brine and crusts stretch across about 5,856 sq km; the 32 km salt bridge runs the highway straight over it, with salt sculptures at the visitor shore.

1. geermu chaerhan salt lake
2. geermu wanzhan salt bridge

Morning with the 1954 Qinghai-Tibet Highway story at the General's Mansion Park; afternoon in Kunlun Park of the river oasis near 2,780 m.

1. geermu general mansion park
2. geermu kunlun park

Reed paths of the eco-park first, then the oasis promenades; a low-mileage day that the basin light rewards.

1. geermu jinyuhu eco park
2. geermu city riverside

West among dunes and dry channels, one of the highest desert-poplar stands anywhere — October gold, spring green, and silence in between.

1. geermu populus euphratica forest

Declared as a long day: roughly 250 km west along the G315 through bare basin country to the jade-green East Tajinar brine lake, with the highway's photogenic dips en route — park only in signed bays, fines are real; carry food and fuel, there is little between.

1. geermu g315 canyon road
2. geermu east tajinar lake

Sleep in, then an easy loop of the eco-park and the riverside benches; the city oasis reads best at this pace.

1. geermu jinyuhu eco park
2. geermu city riverside

A last market breakfast, then the station quarter where the 1984 line meets the 1,142 km Lhasa route of 2006; trains and flights run out daily.

1. geermu railway station quarter
2. geermu city markets