The Kuqa Basin is located between the northern margin of the Tarim Basin and southwestern part of the Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang, which is a sub depression of the Tarim Basin. This paper covers mainly chemical characteristics and origin of saline springs in the Kuqa Basin, as well as their significance to potash prospecting.Totally 21 representative saline spring samples were collected from the Kuqa Basin and their chemical compositions, water types, and hydrogen and oxygen isotopic compositions were analyzed.Besides, contour maps for chemical components of saline springs were drawn on the basis of collected data of 129 saline spring samples from old references.21 new saline spring samples are characterized by total dissolved solids (TDS) ranging from 120.216 to 305.322 g/L and the chloride type (Valyashko’s classification) as the dominant water type; these waters show obvious features of CaCl2 type brine recharged from deep strata.δ18O and δ2H are in range -9.1‰～4.7‰ and -75‰～-28‰, respectively, with data points deviating from the Global Meteoric Water Line (GMWL) and δ18O and δ2H showing a certain positive correlation (r=0.81).This indicates that saline spring waters in the Kuqa basin have experienced strong evaporation and positive shifts in δ18O values reveal certain water rock interactions.Chemical characteristics of saline springs in the Kuqa Basin are closely related to underground lithology; outcropping and distribution of saline springs are mainly controlled by faults; surface geochemical anomalies caused by saline springs are of great significance to potash prospecting in this area.