Mysterious Chinese Buildings Explained

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Mysterious buildings

(Image credit: Google Maps)

In 2011, an ex-CIA analyst discovered mysterious structures in the deserts near Kashgar, Western China. The structures included some large buildings as well as a big, U-shaped complex

Not a secret

(Image credit: Google Maps)

But though the exact purpose is unclear, the sites are probably commercial or industrial locations experts say.

Plugged in

chinese-satellite-imagery

(Image credit: Google Maps)

Though they are in the desert, they are near rail lines and the airport.

Near civillization

(Image credit: Google Maps)

The structures aren't far from Kashgar, one of the main cities in the Xinjiang province of China.

Commercial development

google earth, satellite images, chinese desert

(Image credit: Google Earth)

In general, the region of Kashgar has been singled out by the Chinese government as a special economic zone that should undergo major development over the next several years. [See More Mysterious Structures in China Desert]

Tia Ghose
Tia Ghose
Managing Editor

Tia is the managing editor and was previously a senior writer for Live Science. Her work has appeared in Scientific American, Wired.com and other outlets. She holds a master's degree in bioengineering from the University of Washington, a graduate certificate in science writing from UC Santa Cruz and a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Tia was part of a team at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that published the Empty Cradles series on preterm births, which won multiple awards, including the 2012 Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism.