Yuncheng Salt Lake

When summer comes, the glassy water of Yuncheng Salt Lake in China’s Shanxi Province turns a shocking rainbow. From above the lake looks like a painter’s palette, with dabbles of magenta, green, and aquamarine across the landscape.

Down on the surface, a yearly ritual has taken place for millennia. Workers slowly and painstakingly shovel piles of salt that are left behind as the water evaporates. These hunks of white crystal have helped grant Yuncheng a place of cultural and political esteem, and the chemical reactions catalyze an otherworldly landscape that enchants locals and phone-wielding tourists alike.