Mars on Earth: Lenghu Mars Camp and the Lost Petroleum City of the Qaidam

The Most Martian Place on Earth

1.Located in the vast and desolate Qaidam: Basin of Qinghai Province, the Lenghu Mars Camp sits amidst one of the most surreal landscapes on the planet. This region, often referred to as the "Zone of No Life," is characterized by its hyper-arid climate, frequent winds, and lack of vegetation, creating a terrain that strikingly resembles the surface of Mars. The camp is surrounded by the spectacular Yardang landforms (wind-eroded ridges), which are considered the largest and most typical of their kind in China. These natural sculptures, carved by millions of years of wind and sand, rise from the Gobi desert like ancient castles, fleet ships, or strange beasts, casting long, eerie shadows across the yellow sands.

A Legacy of Black Gold

Before it became a destination for space enthusiasts, Lenghu was a legendary site in China's industrial history. In the 1950s, geological prospecting teams ventured into this "forbidden zone" and discovered the Lenghu Oil Field, one of the four major oil fields in China at the time. Thousands of workers flocked to this remote basin, building a bustling "Petroleum City" from scratch in the wilderness. However, as oil resources depleted and the administrative center moved, the city was abandoned, leaving behind the ruins of Lenghu No. 4 and No. 5, which now stand as silent, crumbling monuments to a bygone era of heroic struggle and "black gold" exploration,.

The Solitude of the Gobi

Visiting Lenghu is a journey into solitude and vastness. The area lies on the northern edge of the Qaidam Basin, bordered by the Altun Mountains and the Qilian Mountains. The landscape is a stark palette of the basin's "Three Originals": the yellow of the wind-blown sand, the white of the salt flats, and the black of the Gobi gravel. Driving through this region, often described as driving on a different planet, offers a profound sense of isolation and awe. The Mars Camp itself utilizes this unique environment to provide an immersive "Mars landing" experience, allowing visitors to stay in capsule-like accommodations and explore the surrounding Yardangs, bridging the gap between the history of Earth's resources and the future of space exploration.