Lop Nur, Nuclear test site and salt lake in Ruoqiang County, China.
Lop Nur is a dried salt basin in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region that extends across a wide area at around 780 meters elevation. The terrain consists of crusted salt deposits spreading over flat land, surrounded by barren desert landscape.
Between 1964 and 1996 the area served as a location for atomic bomb testing, with the first trial taking place in October 1964. Before this military use, the basin formed part of a route linking trade paths over centuries.
The name refers to a dried basin that once guided caravans along routes through Central Asia. Today the area remains a quiet witness to old trade connections that once passed through this region.
Access requires official permits and is allowed only with authorized escort. Accommodation can be found in the nearby town of Ruoqiang, from where visitors can organize their journey.
Satellite images show patterns in the terrain that resemble a large ear shape when viewed from above. These formations developed through natural erosion processes over long periods.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
