In view of the potential damage caused by desalination and salt control methods widely used for salt-containing silicate cultural relics, a variety of instruments such as scanning electron microscopes, resistance meters and high resolution cameras were used to record changes of the distribution of salt zones in the interior of saline cultural relics with chromogenic copper sulfate solutions. The results indicate that the migration and diffusion rate of salt ions in the samples could be accelerated by desalination and surface-spray salt control methods, forming two or more layers of salt crystals in the interior of the samples. The formation of salt crystal band was related to the structural characteristics of the porous samples, the transport and evaporation rates of salt solutions and the frequency of humidification and drying cycles. The results also indicate that with the increases of capillary rise height and air permeability of the samples, ambient temperatures and salt concentrations and even humidification and drying frequency, the changes of salt band distribution in the porous samples became more obvious. The results provide scientific evidence and visual data support for the potential damages of porous cultural relics induced by desalination or salt control with the humidification technology.