"Reborn from the ashes", this old Chinese proverb seems to have been prepared exclusively for Lop Nur. This once desolate desert has been tested by war and technology, and has finally been reborn and has become an important guarantee of China's food security.
But how did Lop Nur go from a dead sandy land to a treasure trove to feed hundreds of millions of people, and what secrets are hidden in this desert that allows it to play such an important role in China's food crisis?
01 The ancient legend of Lop Nur
In 176 BC, during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Lop Nur already existed in the historical records. The ancients described this place as a place where "the yellow sand wears gold armor in a hundred battles, and Loulan will never be returned if it is not broken".
This poem depicts the heroism and splendor of Lop Nur, and the kingdom of Loulan is located in this desert. At that time, Lop Nur was connected to the Tarim River, and the water of life in the desert nourished the surrounding civilization.
In the ancient book "The Legend of the Western Regions", Lop Nur is depicted as a place where water accumulates, and the water does not subside in winter, but the water volume continues to grow in summer.
It was an abundant source of water and an important supply station for travelers on the Silk Roads at the time. In the murals of the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, there are also depictions of this prosperous oasis.
However, over time, Lop Nur's fortunes took a dramatic turn. In the last century, with the increase of human activity, this once-thriving oasis began to wither.
The desert's environment is deteriorating, the once lakes are drying up, and the surrounding trees are on the verge of extinction. By 1961, the Lop Nur Desert had completely lost its former vitality and had become what people called a "death zone".
Despite the drastic changes in the environment of Lop Nur, this desert still attracts the attention of modern people. Scientists and explorers have never stopped exploring this mysterious desert.
They search for traces of past civilizations in this desolate desert, trying to unravel the historical mystery behind the land.
02 History of the atomic bomb test site
The history of Lop Nur came into the spotlight again in the mid-20th century, but this time, it took on a very different look.
This former oasis became the testing ground for China's first atomic bomb. The explosion in the desert symbolizes a leap forward in the country's scientific and technological power, and also marks a permanent environmental change in Lop Nur.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the country was faced with a major strategic problem: how to rapidly develop agriculture, especially in the face of a large shortage of potash fertilizer?
The discovery of the Lop Nur Desert offers a possible solution to this problem. The discovery of potash is seen as an important contribution to China's food security. Scientists and explorers embarked on a journey of exploration of the Lop Nur Desert with curiosity about the unknown and a sense of responsibility for the country's development.
03Salt layers rich in potash
In the middle of the last century, researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and several departments began to conduct detailed investigations in the Lop Nur desert area. The first few attempts to explore ended in failure, but scientists did not give up hope. They found large quantities of potassium ions, although they failed to mine commercially valuable minerals immediately.
At a critical moment, the famous geologist Wang Erli conducted an in-depth study of the Lop Nur Desert.
In the 70s of the 20th century, the Lop Nur Desert, once an oasis, is now a dry dead land. But for Wang Erli, a Chinese scientist, there is an unsolved mystery, a secret about a lost resource.
In the spring of that year, Wang Erli embarked on an arduous journey to explore the Lop Nur Desert.
He traveled alone through no man's land and made a detailed comparative study of the geological features between the Tarim Basin and the Lop Nur Desert. Wang Erli's efforts eventually bore fruit, and he found a salt layer rich in potash.
The turning point in Lop Nur came after the founding of the People's Republic of China, when China began to seek solutions to the major challenges of agricultural development. As the key to agricultural production, the lack of potash fertilizer has become a bottleneck in domestic agricultural development. At that time, foreign capitalist countries put pressure on the development of agriculture on the mainland, and China urgently needed to find its own source of potash.
Against this backdrop, the discovery of potash in the Lop Nur Desert has brought new hope for China's food security. As early as the middle of the last century, the Chinese Academy of Sciences conducted a scientific investigation of this area.
Although the initial exploration ended in failure, scientists did not give up, and they became very interested in potash deposits in the Lop Nur Desert.
After countless failures and challenges, in 2000, researchers successfully separated potassium sulfate in a homemade crystallizer and successfully produced potash fertilizer. This achievement marks China's self-reliance in potash production and fills the technological gap in the country. The Lop Nur Desert is no longer a barren dead land, but a treasure land that feeds hundreds of millions of Chinese.
04 The future of Lop Nur
From prosperity to desolation and then to rejuvenation, the story of the Lop Nur Desert is the best interpretation of "rebirth from the ashes".
It is not only a story about the changes in the natural environment, but also a story of scientific exploration, courage and innovation. The journey of Lop Nur reminds us that in the face of challenges and difficulties, courageous exploration and unremitting efforts are the key to achieving our goals.
Dear readers, what do you think of this amazing history of the Lop Nur Desert? Welcome to share your thoughts in the comment area, let us discuss and learn Xi together, and witness the power of history and the possibilities of the future together.