Yuncheng Salt Lake, China's colorful 'Dead Sea'

Yuncheng Lake in China's Shanxi province has become a social media darling thanks to its colorful surface. Now, China wants it to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

(CNN) — Xiechi Lake, also known as Yuncheng Salt Lake in China's Shanxi province, has become popular on Instagram and other social media websites in recent years thanks to eye-popping aerial photographs of its colorful surface.

Now, China wants to convert that online popularity into real-life tourism.

First step: advertise it to Chinese domestic travelers.