Nature's Eyeshadow Palette: The Salt Flats of Mangkang
The Mangkang salt flats evoke a natural eyeshadow palette, with an accompanying image sourced from the Chamdo Tourism Development Bureau. Photographer Lin Haiyin captured the “Salt Well Girl,” while Zhang Mingfang photographed women laboring on the salt flats. A photo of a well-constructed salt field is credited to Youth Changdu. Regarding the history of salt, among the “seven things to open the door”—“firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and tea”—salt is the magical ingredient that alters everyone’s taste buds.
Salt is not only a vital seasoning but also an indispensable nutrient for the human body’s normal growth and development. In the Song Dynasty, the renowned literary scholar Su Shi wrote in a poem, "How can we forget the taste of the feast, since there has been no salt in our food for three months." When salt is missing from a meal, even premium, rare, or naturally flavorful dishes become as insipid as wax. It is salt that lends food its soul and makes it fragrant.
China has a long history of salt culture. In ancient times, sea water was boiled to obtain salt, and the Chinese character for salt originally meant "boiling brine in a vessel". Archaeological discoveries in Fujian Province during the 1950s included salt-making utensils, indicating that people in the Yangshao period (5000-3000 BC) had already learned to boil sea salt. However, excessive salt consumption is harmful to the body and brings no benefit. Ordinary White salt Image source: Baidu
According to the preceding details and physical evidence, salt in China has its origins in the Yan and Huang era, five thousand years ago. There are currently two ancient salt fields in the country, both of which are now tourist destinations. The inventor Su Sha, who used fire to boil seawater and make salt, was later honored with the title "Salt Ancestor". The image of the Chaka Salt Lake in Wulan County, Haixi, comes from Baidu.
The two salt fields are each over a thousand years old. One, with more than 2,000 years of history, is located on Yangpu Peninsula in Danzhou City, Hainan Province. The other, dating back over 3,000 years, is found in Jada Village, Naxi Township, Yanjing Town, Mangkang County, Chando City, Tibet. The image of Mangkang White Salt is taken from the South Korean documentary "Tea Horse Road.
The "Shuowen Jiezi" offers this definition: "What forms on its own is brine; what is boiled is salt." Yet in Mangkang, Chamdo, Tibet, salt drawn from ancient wells is not produced by boiling—it is dried naturally through sun and wind. As a result, this is the one place in all of China where the original handmade technique of solar salt drying has endured. Over many centuries, this practice has made Mangkang County a thriving center within the Tibetan region and a significant stopping point along the ancient Tea Horse Road.
The geological beginnings and folklore surrounding the ancient salt field, which dates back a thousand years, are tied to a time roughly 40,000 years ago when the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau lay beneath a vast ocean. Through the subsequent collision and compression of the Indian Ocean plate and the Asian plate, that seabed was slowly lifted, eventually giving rise to the plateau and mountain ranges visible today. This history is depicted in imagery sourced from "Tea Horse Road," a documentary shot by South Koreans, which features Zhabuye Salt Lake in Tibet.
The collision zone between the Indian Ocean plate and the Asian plate is, in general, a subduction boundary—an area where trenches and mountains tend to develop. This process causes seawater to rise steadily along with crustal movements, ultimately forming underground lakes on land, which accounts for the region's salinity. Diagram of the six major sectors disappearing and growing boundaries.
An online paper from Lanzhou University's School of Resources and Environment reports that the plateau climate became progressively drier, causing lakes on the plateau to evaporate, accumulate salts, and eventually form a salt crust beneath the ground. In addition, the research team led by Nie Junsheng discovered that approximately 17 million years ago, the Lancang River's upper, middle, and lower reaches all underwent significant rapid downcutting, which gave rise to the formation of the Lancang River.
The salt wells visible today originated when fractures in the rock strata beside the Lancang River allowed underground hot springs to break through the surface, carrying dissolved salt crust with them. A distribution map of these salt wells and salt mines is provided by Baidu as the image source. Prior to the Tubo Dynasty, it is believed that every tribe in Tibet already possessed its own salt fields. Within the six peaks of Dokang, Mangkang Peak stood out for its salt production. A tale recounts a conflict between the legendary King Gesar and the Naxi King Qiangba over the salt well, a clash remembered as the "Battle of Qangling".
Following his victory over Qiangba, King Gesar captured Qiangba’s son Yula and seized the salt well. By the latter part of the Tubo Dynasty, Yula—son of the Naxi King—had risen to the position of chief minister under King Gesar, and oversight of the salt fields was passed to the Naxi people. The snow-capped mountains embrace Damei. Image source: Mangkang Tourism. To this day, this place preserves the most ancient and primitive techniques for producing salt.
Over the course of millennia, this area saw countless conflicts fought over control of the salt wells, and for much of its history, the local population was subjected to slavery. It was not until a few decades ago, as a result of China's reform and opening up, that the residents finally acquired salt fields of their own. (Image source: Mangkang Tourism) Women are shown working in the salt fields at Yantian. In addition, the villagers of Yanjing have a charming myth about the origin of those salt fields.
According to legend, Dame B—the snow-capped mountain of Yanjing and daughter of Mt. Meili—was traveling toward Lhasa long ago when she saw how impoverished and ill the people of Yanjing were, so she gave them a golden rooster and a silver hen. Whenever the river swelled, the rooster would circle Jada Village, and its footprints turned into wells, leaving the wells at varying elevations throughout the village. The silver hen, meanwhile, remained at the lower salt wells to hatch its eggs and therefore could not wander freely.
Long ago, the continuous cutting of the Lancang River and shifts in the earth caused the salt wells to form high mountain canyons. With the additional dry climate, the indigenous people there were in desperate trouble. That is the reason there are more salt wells in the lower part of Yanjing village. As a result, salt wells emerged, and the villagers started building salt fields and making salt. salt flats Photographed by Yu Fan （4） Alongside beautiful legends, the salt wells and salt fields have tragic tales as well.
After Dāměi Snow Mountain, the area's sacred peak, reported the matter to Guanyin Bodhisattva, she felt deep sympathy for the inhabitants and took the form of two phoenixes that rested on opposite riverbanks, giving rise to the rows of salt wells. From that time onward, salt production has been the principal livelihood of the local community. Even now, the wells on the Jiangdong side are thought to be the mother phoenixes, while those on the Jiangxi side are considered the father phoenixes.
The salt fields of Mangkang stand high beside the Lancang River, their appearance reminiscent of a makeup palette shaped by nature. Their construction is straightforward, carried out by the local residents themselves. The process begins with large wooden stakes forming the framework, over which wooden planks are laid, and then a layer of sand and gravel is spread and compacted firmly. Image source: Mangkang Tourism Salt Flats and the Salt Woman.
Building salt fields (image source: Documentary "Tea Horse Road" filmed by South Koreans). By the river, local residents excavate deep salt wells and channel in river water to dissolve the ancient salt strata, producing brine. Once this brine is drawn up and dried, the area's "salt women" further process it into salt. Before that, brine is poured onto the fields, where it rises through evaporation and seeps downward, a design that proves highly effective. Here, even within the same village and using water from the same river, the salt obtained can differ.
The different soil quality and geographical conditions on the two sides of the river are the primary cause. On the east bank of the Lancang River lie Salt Well Village and Naxi Village. Because the terrain is steep, the salt fields constructed in this area are narrow, so the salt cannot be shaped into blocks. At the same time, the salt harvested there is pure white, contains minimal impurities, and is of excellent quality. This variety is referred to as "snowflake salt," representing the finest-grade salt produced in Salt Well Village.
A local saying in Mangkang goes, "White salt for longevity, red salt for slimming." The image of Mangkang Snowflake Salt (source: Mangkang Tourism) depicts snow salt, which is a white salt that can be consumed directly and has larger grains than ordinary white salt. It is believed that white salt is good for health and longevity, while red salt is said to promote weight loss and even cure diseases.
Mangkang Peach Blossom Salt is mainly consumed by people, especially in making butter tea; its good color and delicious flavor make it indispensable for local minority groups when producing this tea. Additionally, it has medical uses, as it possesses antibacterial and cleansing qualities. On the west bank of the Lancang River, Jada Village and Quzika have gentle terrain, which results in salt wells that are wider and flatter. Image source: Mangkang Tourism.
Resembling a giant natural eyeshadow palette, the salt fields in Yanjing Village, Naxi Township, Shigatse County, Tibet, number 3454 and sit on the river's sandbanks and cliffs, as described in "When the Wind Blows Over the Thousand-Year-Old Salt Fields" by Yuan Xiaoxin and Jiang Caiping. The salt produced there takes on a reddish hue due to the dark red sandy soil, and while output is substantial, its quality is inferior, making it fit mainly for animal feed or Tibetan medicinal baths.
At the site, the salt fields resemble an eyeshadow palette, and apart from these fields and the swift Lancang River, another striking sight is the "Salt Women." Using ladders, these women descend several meters to the riverbank, collect brine water, and carry it back up to pour across the salt fields. During the salt production season, they move mechanically through the uneven terrain, vanishing into one hole and emerging from another. (Image source: Changdu City Tourism Development Bureau official website)
After the highland sunlight and canyon breeze have caused the brine's water to evaporate, they go to the salt drying field and form the dried white salt into flower-like patterns. At least fifty to sixty trips per day, sometimes more, are necessary for them. The woman who built the salt fields.
Image source: Youth Changdu Unaware that the area's greatest wealth lies in the salt-making skills passed down from ancestors and their own hard work in the salt fields, the "salt women" here see salt as a precious treasure granted by wind and sunlight for their survival. The ancient, primitive method of salt production continues to be handed down by generations of "salt women" like them, who carry on the tradition through their lives and beliefs.
Gera Village, a small settlement ringed by seven peaks above 6000 meters, has long supported itself through livestock raising. In the early milking hours, herders draw together yaks and sheep by using a mysterious material: the red salt sourced from the salt well. Because animals require considerably more salt than humans, this substance is crucial for the herdsmen's livelihood. This relationship reflects the generational connection shared between Gera Village and Jada Village. (Salt Woman, image source: personal illustration)
For generations, Gela Village has relied on the red salt from Gada Village because the local yaks must consume it—this salt supports weight gain, reproduction, and disease prevention. The herdsmen in Gela Village make butter from yak milk, keeping only a small share for themselves while the men carry the rest out to trade for money or goods. The image, showing a herder feeding red salt to cattle, comes from the documentary "Tea Horse Road" shot by South Koreans.
Compared with the Duri Ba nomads' trip to Zabuye Salt Lake for salt collection, the Gera village herders had an easier time of it. Still, their twice-yearly journeys—crossing numerous peaks above 5,000 meters to reach Gada Village—were arduous. There, following the traditional barter system, they traded hundreds of yaks for salt and grains. Image source: the scene of this primitive goods exchange appears in the South Korean documentary "Tea Horse Road.
During this period, the herders of Gela Village brought their sons—those intended to carry on the family trade—so the boys could observe the adults and learn the skills of trading salt and barley, as well as tending to yaks. Image source: the South Korean documentary "Tea Horse Road," showing the shopping area for Gera Village herders. The nomadic herders of Gera Village engage in this generational exchange of trading knowledge only upon their visits to Gada Village.
Because they think salt is earned through women's sweat, either the Gela herders or the salt mine women themselves have to put the salt into the other's pocket. After intense haggling, carefully wrapped butter is bartered for red salt; the salt mine men do all the negotiating and never handle the salt. Besides swapping red salt and barley at the mine, they also go to local shops for other supplies before returning to Gela Village. Gera village herders shopping in small shops.
Two Princess Wencheng temples exist within Tibetan-inhabited areas. One is located in the Benagu Valley southeast of Jiegu Town, Yushu City, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, while the other stands in the Zaguxi Gorge of Juolong Village, Naxi Township, Mangkang County, Chamdo City. The image comes from the South Korean documentary "Tea Horse Road.
The Princess Wencheng Temple was later constructed atop a magical large rock. That rock, according to local staff, came to light when people were clearing rocks that had slid off the mountain slope prior to the temple’s construction.
Li Yuanmei's photograph captures the Princess Wencheng Temple in Chamdo, Tibet. Inside, the temple is rather small, and at its center lies a large rock. The temple's main focus is the lifelike "deities" on this rock, which include the naturally formed statues of Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo and Tang Dynasty Princess Wencheng. Legend has it that these figures were not carved by human hands but formed on their own, inspiring awe at nature's extraordinary work.
The large rock is believed by local Tibetans to possess a divine aura, and they come to worship it. Chamdo, Tibet, is home to Princess Wencheng Temple, photographed by Li Yuanmei. As the only Catholic church in Tibet, the Salt Well Catholic Church stands as an exemplary case of the exchange and fusion of Chinese Tibetan culture and Western culture, and also as a rare example of religious and cultural exchange in the history of Chinese Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism.
In his Tibet Daily article "The Catholic Church on the Roof of the World," Mu Yongwen recounted the construction of the Catholic church in Yanjing, writing that "in Tibet, where almost all the people believe in Buddhism, the story of Catholicism taking root in this Buddhist holy land of the Tibetan plateau is filled with miracles and melancholy." The image of Salt Well Catholic Church is attributed to Chamdo Tourism. In 1865, Dingyi, a French missionary, traveled from Batang, Sichuan, across the river to Mangkang, Tibet.
In that period, because religion and governance were intertwined in Tibet, the regional ruler would not permit Dingyi to give sermons in Mangkang and expelled him from the Weisigou Monastery, sending him to Yanjing. He began his preaching at the ancient Guge Kingdom in Ali, then traveled onward to Shigatse and Lhasa. Later, religious disturbances broke out in both Tibet and Qinghai, leading to Dingyi's banishment. He barely escaped with his life, taking a roundabout route through foreign lands to reach Longjiang in Yunnan, before eventually arriving at Yanjing in Tibet.
Because the Gaxia local government in Tibet still refused him permission to preach in Yanjing, Dingyi could only wait for a chance there, despite having permission from Yunnan's local government. While waiting, an illness spread through Yanjing, likely the epidemic referred to today. Earlier, upon arriving, he had learned from his mistake: he first gave gifts to the local leader Dabagong Gangdazha, and only then did he finally purchase a piece of land. The entrance of Salt Well Catholic Church Photographed by Liu Xiaoshun
Father Dingyi’s success in spreading Christianity in Tibet was actually due to advanced Western medicine, not any supernatural power of Catholicism. He was skilled in Western medicine and used his own medications and equipment to treat many patients, while many officials and civilians perished from the epidemic. In its aftermath, his standing among the people rose sharply, leading many to alter their opinions about Catholicism, which gradually established itself in Yanjing.
Catholicism was introduced to Tibet in 1878 by a French missionary named Father Blanc. Throughout the years, its expansion in this sacred Buddhist land has been far from smooth, and non-Buddhists have endured considerable hardship. In 1905, more than ten Catholics died during a religious uprising, and in 1949, the Swiss priest Father Du Zhongxian was beaten to death. In addition to these documented events, there are also certain folk beliefs. Salt Well Catholic Church Photographed by Liu Xiaoshun.
According to Liu Jun's 1991 paper "Analysis of Foreign Churches in Kang Region," published in "Tibet Studies," the Yanjing church was founded in the 1860s by French missionary Priest Lü Siduo and had 342 believers. In 1880, he met Father Petit, who was already doing missionary work in Batang. After being expelled from Batang in 1887, he had to return to Yanjing, where he then built the Catholic church.
In the Naxi Ethnic Township, roughly 80% of residents are Catholic, while a small number follow Dongbaism or Buddhism. Within certain households, individual members practice different faiths, which can result in Jesus and Buddha images being displayed side by side in one room. Regarding the establishment of the Catholic church in Yanjing, Tibet, various conflicting accounts exist, and scholars have yet to reach a consensus. A photograph of Salt Well Catholic Church was taken by Liu Xiaoshun.
In this place, the young Naxi people wear Tibetan clothes, speak Tibetan, and have largely taken on the Tibetan way of life, living as Tibetans despite their Naxi identity. The church's exterior mirrors the style of Tibetan dwellings, and even the offerings before the statue of the Virgin Mary are traditional Tibetan scarves. The missionaries are clothed in Tibetan dress, and the believers use the world's only Tibetan-language version of the Bible. The image, sourced from Yu Lanying's master's thesis, depicts the Tibetan Bible 1903.
Here, Catholics also adopt local customs. Though Christmas is treated as a major feast, they, just like their Tibetan compatriots, see the Tibetan New Year as the start of the new year. At Christmas, in addition to the priest offering Mass and giving a sermon, traditional Tibetan Guozhuang dance and string dance are performed in celebration, which can be viewed as a blending of cultures. Image source: Master's thesis by Yu Lanying, Tibetan Bible 1931.
Captured by Lin Haiyin, the photo shows Naxi women in traditional dress as they collect salt.