Live Your Best Lives
Open the map of China and zoom in again and again. There are 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, 4 municipalities, 2 special administrative regions... When you have visited all the destinations in the country, where should you go for your next trip?
This time, don’t rush to leave the country. We’ll still stay in China and do something exciting.
So far, only about 3,000 people in China have arrived here. Explorers from all over the world are flocking to this place, and everyone considers it a great honor to have been here, but some people have disappeared from this land forever.
Here, even with all kinds of transportation so developed today, you can still intuitively feel the difficulty of traveling.
There was no signal, all I could do was look around blankly at the almost identical terrain, the quicksand that could get the car stuck if I wasn't careful, the salt crust that could cut the tires, and the legendary sandstorm.
In 2017, the Xinjiang Lop Nur Wild Camel National Nature Reserve Management Bureau issued the "Notice on Prohibition of Tourism and Exploration and Other Human Activities in the Xinjiang Lop Nur Wild Camel National Nature Reserve."
After that, Lop Nur remained silent for more than two years, and no one entered this mysterious place again.
However, this year, we will select several outstanding scientific research and environmental protection volunteers and allow them to enter the area to carry out self-help scientific research volunteer activities.
This will be the most expensive "attraction" in China. It can also be said to be the most mysterious and niche place in the country. There is only one batch of visitors per year, and whether there will be more in the future is also unknown...
Do you yearn for such a trip?
In 1972, when a US satellite was scanning the entire earth, it discovered a "big ear" in western China. It was about 60km long and 30km wide, with alternating light and dark semi-circular lines, converging towards the center in circles, shaped like the "ear of the earth". This is Lop Nur.
Lop Nur was once a lake in the desert and the second largest saltwater lake in China, second only to Qinghai Lake.
The sea has truly changed with time. Now it is covered with desert, extremely dry and without any grass. It is one of the places with the worst natural environment in China and is called the "Sea of Death".
However, it is this death zone that possesses an extremely powerful and mysterious attraction.
From 1876, when Russian explorer Przhevalsky entered Lop Nur; to 1901, when the ancient city, which had been sleeping for a thousand years, was accidentally awakened by Swedish explorer Sven Hedin; to 1964, when China's first atomic bomb was successfully tested here.
In 1980, a mummy known as the "Loulan Beauty" was unearthed, causing a sensation around the world.
Countless explorers and scientists have been fascinated by it, some even sacrificed their lives. In 1980, biochemist Peng Jiamu disappeared in Lop Nur.
At the place where Peng Jiamu disappeared, people passing by would place drinking water in front of the tomb as a tribute.
In 1996, explorer Yu Chunshun died of dehydration after getting lost. The tomb of Yu Chunshun is located in the center of Lop Nur.
The government has since strictly prohibited entry into this forbidden zone.
The reason why Lop Nur attracts human attention so much is that it is a historical desert, not the history of the desert.
Lop Nur is not a legend, its glorious past really exists.
From Wang Changling's "I'll wear my golden armor after a hundred battles in the yellow sand, and I won't return until I have conquered Loulan" to Li Bai's "I would like to draw the sword at my waist to kill Loulan."
It was not until the Han Empire sent troops to Yumen Pass that it finally drove the Xiongnu forces out of the Western Regions, established the Western Regions Chief Secretary's Office in Loulan, and officially brought the Lop Nur area under its jurisdiction.
From then on, Loulan, located along the ancient Silk Road, ushered in its period of heyday.
The picture above is a later restoration of Loulan.
The picture below was taken in the Loulan mural tomb. The characters on the mural are full of the atmosphere of aristocracy and merchants.
Unfortunately, the good times did not last long. Due to the invasion of Western enemies, the decline of the Silk Road, the deterioration of the natural environment, and the intensification of human activities, the ancient city of Loulan was short-lived and mysteriously disappeared forever in this vast Gobi Desert.
What remains now are only scattered broken walls and ancient coins scattered on the Gobi Desert, from which one can vaguely see the glory of that time.
The above picture shows the Xiaohe cemetery. The pillars on the coffins symbolize the male genitals, indicating that the burial is female; the fan-shaped wooden pillars symbolize the female genitals, indicating that the burial is male. This reflects the fertility worship of early Lop Nur people.
The picture below shows the Wuzhu coins of the Han Dynasty, the Kaiyuan Tongbao coins of the Tang Dynasty, and arrowheads, indicating that the currency of the time was still in circulation in Loulan during the Han and Tang Silk Road period.
We will take you to the center of Lop Nur Lake, then visit the Loulan Work Station, and go to the mural tombs of the Loulan Tombs, which are very old and rich in cultural connotations.
The upper limit of the age is about 3,800 years ago, and the lower limit of the age is the Han and Jin Dynasties. It is an important early ancient human cultural relic in Xinjiang.
The Little River Princess, unearthed in Lop Nur in 2004, dates back 3,500 to 4,000 years. Her lifelike appearance is amazing. On the right is a restored image of the Little River Princess of Lop Nur.
After we go to Lop Nur, we will continue to visit another large uninhabited area in China (China's four major uninhabited areas: Lop Nur, Altun, Hoh Xil, and Qiangtang in Tibet).
It is the least well-known of the four major uninhabited areas in China. It does not have the mystery of Lop Nur, the fame of Hoh Xil, or the historical connotation of Qiangtang in Tibet, but it is quietly waiting for you to discover.
The Altun Nature Reserve is located in the southern part of the Altun Mountains and the northern part of the Eastern Kunlun Mountains. It starts from the boundary between Ruoqiang and Qiemo counties in the west, extends to the border between Xinjiang and Qinghai provinces in the east, Qimantag in the south of the Altun Mountains in the north, and the Eastern Kunlun Mountains that separate Xinjiang and Tibet in the south.
There are numerous lakes in the reserve, among which Ayakkumu Lake is the largest lake in the reserve. The sand spring on the northern slope of Kumukule Sand Mountain is also unique.
There is abundant water and grass here, which is a good place for animals to forage. It is a true desert oasis.
Here, in addition to appreciating the wonders of nature, you can also see the creatures that dominate this area.
There are also various rare birds and animals that always appear in your field of vision unexpectedly.
After completing the exploration of the two uninhabited areas of Lop Nur and Altun, we will return to Mangya, Qinghai, where the same fascinating scenery is waiting for us.
It is less crowded and more beautiful than Da Qaidam Lake, and is a true mirror of the sky in China.
Come here and marvel at the power of nature. Lifelike clay Buddhas, shaped by wind, rain, and time, range from a few meters to over ten meters tall. They stand quietly between heaven and earth, as if they are holding a thousand-year-old Dharma assembly, with the lingering Buddhist chants still ringing in your ears...
Such an exciting expedition and scientific research trip, of course, cannot be complete without the most professional logistical support system.
The entire journey is carried out in Land Cruiser off-road vehicles, with 3 passengers and 1 driver in one vehicle. 3 vehicles are equipped with 1 vehicle for logistics support and 1 mechanic to ensure driving safety to the greatest extent.
The meal cost 100 yuan per person, which includes 40% meat, 40% vegetables and 20% fruit. Coffee, milk, white wine, red wine, beer and other drinks are also provided.
The best local hotel, single and double outdoor tents to choose from, each person is provided with a moisture-proof mat and sleeping bag, and there is a professional outdoor windproof tent for every 12 people.
The team doctor and first aid personnel are on board, carrying medical equipment and first aid medicines.
Equipped with a fleet captain, vehicle emergency maintenance, spare emergency channels and vehicles.
We have no way of imagining the future of Lop Nur. Perhaps one day in the future, humans will no longer be able to enter. There may only be one chance, so don’t miss it!
