You may have heard of the ancient city of Loulan, which is the most expensive scenic spot in China, and a ticket costs 3,500 yuan, while foreigners who want to enter have to pay a deposit of 300,000 yuan.
Such a high ** makes many people feel incredible, what is so special about it that deserves such a high threshold?
Located in Ruoqiang County, Xinjiang, the ancient city of Loulan is an ancient civilization site with a history of more than 2,000 years, which was once an important post on the Silk Road and the capital of the Loulan Kingdom.
The ancient city of Loulan has a unique architectural style, with ingenious city towers, Buddha statues buried in yellow sand, ancient castles, etc., and has preserved a large number of historical and cultural heritages.
However, the ancient city of Loulan is also a mysterious place, which suddenly disappeared around the 4th century AD without any warning and record, and remains an unsolved mystery to this day.
On the ruins of the ancient city of Loulan, there are also some amazing mysterious cultural relics, such as the statue of the Loulan beauty, the thousand-year-old "Loulan beauty", etc., which make people full of curiosity about this ancient civilization.
The reason why the entrance fee to the ancient city of Loulan is high is not because it is a real tourist attraction, but because it is a national key protection unit and belongs to the scope of cultural relics protection.
Because the ruins of the ancient city of Loulan are very fragile and threatened by various factors such as sandstorms, soil erosion, and man-made destruction, if not protected, they may cause irreparable losses.
Therefore, the purpose of high admission fees** is actually to limit the number of tourists and protect the integrity of the ancient city. In order to prevent tourists from causing damage to the ancient city, ** is set high, which discourages many people.
And the restriction of foreign tourists is even more out of security and confidentiality considerations, because the ruins of the ancient city of Loulan are close to the military base, foreigners are almost forbidden to enter, even if there is a special permit, a deposit of 300,000 yuan must be paid, just in case.
Since March 2022, the ruins of the ancient city of Loulan have stopped opening to the public, and only a few professionals and ** can enter, and ordinary tourists can only be at a distance**.
While the ancient city of Loulan can't be visited in person, there are other attractions in Ruoqiang County that are also not to be missed, as do they reveal the land's mysterious past.
Ruoqiang County is the only county in China with three major deserts, namely the Taklamakan Desert, the Kumtag Desert and the Altyn Desert.
Among them, the Taklamakan Desert is the second largest mobile desert in the world and the driest place in the world, but in the desert, there is a wonderful combination of yellow sand dunes and lakes, and the lake water is pure and sweet, forming a unique landscape.
There is also a place in Ruoqiang County known as the "Sea of Death", and that is Lop Nur. One of China's four major uninhabited areas, Lop Nur is a dry saltwater lake that was once an important source of water for the Loulan kingdom but has since dried up due to climate change.
Around Lop Nur, there is a spectacular Yadan landform, the loess is flying during the day, and the night is quiet like a fairyland, making people feel the magical power of nature.
Another highlight of Ruoqiang County is the Altun Mountains, which is the second largest uninhabited area in China and the largest alpine wildlife reserve in China"A paradise for exotic animals"。
In the Altun Mountains, you can see rare animals such as snow leopards, Tibetan antelopes, wild asses, wild camels, etc., and you can also enjoy the picturesque autumn colors on the plateau of the Altun Mountains in autumn, which makes you forget to return.
In addition to these, there are many other attractions in Ruoqiang County, such as the primitive poplar forest on the banks of the Ruoqiang River, the rippling blue waves of Ruoqiang Lake, the historical relics of the ancient city of Ruoqiang, the cultural display of the Ruoqiang Museum, and so on, all of which are worth visiting.
Although the ancient city of Loulan is the most expensive scenic spot in China, it is also China's most valuable cultural heritage, which has witnessed the rise and fall of an ancient civilization and left an eternal mystery.