| Xiechi Lake | |
|---|---|
| 解池 (Chinese) | |
  Xiechi Lake | |
| Location | Yanhu District,Yuncheng,Shanxi |
| Coordinates | 34°58′38″N110°59′14″E / 34.977222°N 110.987222°E /34.977222; 110.987222 |
| Type | saline lake |
| Basin countries | China |
Xiechi Lake (Chinese:解池), also calledYuncheng yanchi (Yuncheng Salt Lake) is the largestnatural lake inShanxi inNorthern China. It is asaline lake[1]used for production of salt.
In the summertime intense light and heat cause the algaeDunaliella salina to producecarotenoids as a protection againstfree radicals, due in turn to high metabolism. This turns thesalt pans brilliant shades of violet, scarlet, magenta, and emerald (see photo in reference).[2]
The most plausible explanation of the financial prominence of the province of Shanxi during theMing andQing dynasties states that its salt works at Xiechi Lake fostered mercantile activity that would ultimately need banks, these banks would become thepiaohao. An imperial government salt monopoly persisted, with only a few minor interruptions, from theHan dynasty until the year 1370 during the second year of the Ming dynasty. In 1370 the army of the Ming began using its salt rights, known asyan yin, which were initially redeemable only at the Xiechi Lake, to pay for transporting provisions to Chinese soldiers stationed on theGreat Wall. As theShanxi merchants were handling this lucrative business from its very beginnings, they managed to get a piece of the Ming state's monopoly and the imperial government quite likely netted more revenues of the salt monopoly because of higher overall efficiency. This policy that benefited the Shanxi merchants remained in effect long enough for them to accumulate a substantial amount of wealth for themselves, ultimately leading to their dominant position in the Chinese financial market during the Qing dynasty.[3]
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