KenGrok
Explorer
Reged: 06/28/06
Posts: 143
Loc: Germany
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[My first post ever, please be patient]
On the west side of the village Huangyangtan is what I take to be a military facility of some kind (judging by the masses of olive-colored trucks parked there). And right next to that is a scale-model of a landscape. I haven't tried to identify which region it depicts, but it doesn't seem to be a model of the region where this has been built. The model is mostly mountain ranges, complete with lakes and snow-capped peaks.
Googling Huangyangtan comes up with a number of reports about anti-desertification measures to be taken there (assuming this is the same Huangyangtan as I have found here). There does seem to be a lot of tree-planting around the facility and the model. But not enought to stop sand from blowing into Beijing. The whole area to the west looks like a military exercise area. Maybe if I could read them the giant Chinese letters painted onto some of the hills would tell me more about that area, at least.
In any case, any ideas what the function of this model landscape has?
-- KenGrok
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stiuskr
Master Guide
Reged: 04/13/03
Posts: 1317
Loc: NearEarthOrbit over WV
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Sweet find there, K. I would have to guess that we'll be able to find this somewhere along one of China's borders. Probably the Russian border, maybe the N Korean. The key to identifying the model will be in the lake patterns.
Gotta go, happy hunting everyone...
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"And sometimes is seen a strange spot in the sky A human being that was given to fly"....Eddie Vedder
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KenGrok
Explorer
Reged: 06/28/06
Posts: 143
Loc: Germany
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Your suggestion led me to look along China's borders and I found the area represented in the scale model. It's of territory occupied by China but claimed by India, north and south of the east end of the Karakoram range. The borders in this region are shown in red rather than yellow to indicate the dispute.
The Indian name (or Uighur, apparently) for the main area under dispute is Aksayqin Hu. If you look at a map you'll see that there are three such regions like this. A smaller one to the south is part of the scale model. A third one father west is not: the valley directly northeast of K2. Presumably it is so inaccessable in the first place that it's not of concern to the Chinese planners.
The whole area is extremely desolate. There aren't many hi-res shots of the border areas. I've included a link to about the only thing more interesting than bare dirt or ice: a hilltop fortifcation. To the east of it one can see a few groupings of artillery positions (without the hardware).
Still, this doesn't tell of what the purpose of the model is.
A couple more observations about it:
- Its dimensions are almost exactly 700 x 900 m
- At first I though that the grey-colored regions of the model represented those areas that area accessable by graded roads. This appears not always to be the case. One theory: all the trucks parked next to the model brought in recruits who are, centimeter by centimeter, in the process of painting the whole thing something other than the red it is made of.
Added 21 July
Here's what, for example, Wikipedia has to say about Aksai Chin
Wikipedia article on Aksai Chin
Edited by KenGrok (07/20/06 11:34 PM)
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Felippo
Collection Editor
Reged: 07/18/05
Posts: 1764
Loc: Hameln, Germany
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Hello
Very nice find, and very interesting. Maybe the best first time post ever.:)
Thanks a lot for that, and for the nice overlay.
Felippo
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clickable thumbnails:
          
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stiuskr
Master Guide
Reged: 04/13/03
Posts: 1317
Loc: NearEarthOrbit over WV
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Wow, good work guys! Getting ready for vacation so I haven't been on much lately. I figured it was either a border area, or maybe in a foriegn territory and was being used for guided missle navigation testing, bomb run waypoints or something similar. You know that if they've got this seemingly insignificant patch of land modeled, I wonder what else is out there?
And Braham's find looks to me like a highway network somewhere...
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"And sometimes is seen a strange spot in the sky A human being that was given to fly"....Eddie Vedder
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cnick6
Tourist
Reged: 07/19/06
Posts: 2
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Everyone has an active imagination. I do not believe this to be a military installation. The drilling well is a good start.
Reasons not military base:
No guard towers or posts
No fencing
Vehicles would not be painted in colors
No communications tower (or backup)
Too close to residence (could be employees, but again, its too open)
Possible explanation:
http://www.sxhsjt.cn/english/gongsi.htm#3
There are several references on Google to the "Huangyangtan Farm" project.
One interesting note, is that if you line up North and go directly south a few miles you'll see a large Nuclear Power Plant. To the SE of that is the Hydroelectric dam.
-Nick
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KenGrok
Explorer
Reged: 06/28/06
Posts: 143
Loc: Germany
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Especially when GE-ing China one's imagination can really go into turbo; there are so many unusual things there. Still, I think the model has some kind military function. Why?
- It's of a militarily-sensitive region
- Much of the terrain on the west side of the main north-south road is used by the military. The area where the map sits has been used for military exercise. North of here (OK, possibly no connection) is an airbase with weapons storage and hangars tunneled into the mountain.
- Most of the vehicles parked around the model are olive-green (well, my imagination tells me that; GE colors are sometimes pretty bad). There are many dump trucks (there seems to be a lot of activity there), but even more personnel carriers. Inside that other facility, on the west side, it's true that there are vehicles of various colors. Perhaps that one does have a civilian function?
- Too close to town? In the Chinese deserts military facilities are often right on the edge of towns, though on the side towards the hills, and away from agriculture. I have seen this hundred of times.
- It's not possible to tell whether there's a fence. Looking on the south side of the area, the one without the trees planted, there are regularly spaced tiny blobs that are a shade darker than the embankment. But, again, it's impossible to say if they represent a fence.
- There appears to a guard tower on the west as well as on the north side
- If you're referring to the tower in the middle of the facility on the east of the model, that appears to be for radio broadcasting.
But, you know, in the end it's often very difficult to to tell what you're looking at in China. From all my crawling around this and other regions of China, it's hard to tell the difference between military and civilian. And in reality there's perhaps not a strict division between the two.
I propose a contest; have forum readers suggest alternate uses. I'll go first: this is China's first miniature golf course based on the terrain of one of the territories they occupy.
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Replica of occupied India territories -- China - Huangyangtan - Scale model of landscape?
Something different -- China : Muslim cemeteries and graves
More Arabic script than I've ever seen elsewhere in GE -- Pakistan: The hills have names!
And for fun, see: China > Mystery message in the ice
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jwelgan
First Post
Reged: 07/19/06
Posts: 1
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The beauty of open source information... Beijing MAC proactive in bettering ecological environment of north China. 4th paragraph:
Quote:
Huangyangtan, the locality of an artillery shooting range, is 90 km away from Beijing and is one of the sources of sandstorms hitting Beijing. In order to improve the ecological environment there, the Beijing MAC has invested 500, 000 persons/times, millions of yuan of fund to plant trees and grow grass totalling75,000 mu. The forest coverage has increased from 0.08% at the beginning of building the shooting range to the present 62.5%. A coordinated tactics-drilling base of the military area command and a drilling base of a unit have invested large amount of manpower and material to afforestation. Now the barren hills and wastelands in the past have taken on a new green look and the forest and grass survival rate reached 90% and above. The Hongshan Military Horse Ranch has adopted such comprehensive harnessing measures as enclosing pastures where herding horse is forbidden, while growing trees and grass on these pastures to recover the deteriorated grassland. The National Afforestation Committee and the Environmental Protection and Afforestation Committee of the PLA have named the Hongshan Military Horse Ranch as the “Demonstration Base in Ecological Construction” of the state and the army.
Out of that I pull:
1. artillery shooting range
2. coordinated tactics-drilling base of the military area command
3. drilling base of a unit
4. Military Horse Ranch
I believe #1, the artillery range, is here, just to the west of the landscape. The numbers on the hills are probably used for ranging and there do appear to be craters from artillery, especially to the South. Just follow the mountain range and they will pop out at you.
Since there are military tactics drilling bases also in the city, I think it is probable the landscape is being used for those purposes.
The windmill farm is interesting though.
Hope these links work... I haven't posted before.
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BabaJehangir
First Post
Reged: 07/19/06
Posts: 1
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Quote:
I propose a contest; have forum readers suggest alternate uses. I'll go first: this is China's first miniature golf course based on the terrain of one of the territories they occupy.
They've been trying to build roads there for a long time, haven't they. The model is less than 1 sq.mile, so it's use for training infantrymen is limited. But if they want to plan roads and other civil engineering works, then this is just nice.
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Delta102
Master Guide
Reged: 07/07/05
Posts: 4983
Loc: U.S.A.
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Welcomre to GE and Great find !........You've made the New's 
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Pets of the Google Earth Community / Do's and Dont's / All Aircraft in flight / Tools that help and answers to FAQ / How to add pictures to your placemarks and posts
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unknownz
First Post
Reged: 07/20/06
Posts: 1
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Yeah I followed a link from an Australian news website to here. Well done folks.
Hmmm I found this post really interesting simply because I am a Chinese. So I started doing some research in Chinese. From what I have found in Chinese official reports and posts in various forums, I can definately tell that this place is a military drilling area. Appreantly it was built long time back and has been one of the training base for Beijing Military Division since. It appears every summer a large number of soliders, tanks, artilery and armed vehicles gather in the base for all kinds of drilling activities. It is a multi-functional coordinated training camp.
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donrico
Tourist
Reged: 07/20/06
Posts: 3
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its almost like you didnt look at the picture...
there is a fence all around, a front and side gate, guard towers, a huge comm tower just behind the main building, nearest residence is miles away, and then, they are in the middle of NOWHERE.
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agraveman
First Post
Reged: 07/20/06
Posts: 1
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Just to clear one thing, this placed is not the other place named Huangyangtan which is undergoing anti-dessertification. That Huangyangtan has the same chinese name but it's in Heibei province (another province). That can ruleout using a anti-dessert facility as a cover-up.
Dont think the cost of that model is that high, since the labour cost around there is next to nothing. Thus, using the liberation army, means anything could be done will be done.
added info: Huangyangtang supposed to be a state-own experimental farm with 4 acres of land and use US imported irrigating machinaries. It is also one of the vineyards of a chinese winery. By overlaying a vincinity map over it, the houses to the east of the establishment are supposed to be farm houses. The hill to the southwest of the facility is called Fabuzhan in the map. The closest large town to the east which marked Shengli in GE is actually called Yongling.
Edited by agraveman (07/20/06 03:41 PM)
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charliebouy
First Post
Reged: 07/20/06
Posts: 1
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my first post as well.
apologies if alreadsy posted, but as per the article by British IT news website The Register, the scale model of the landscape at Huangyangtan appears to be identical to a section of the planet at Karakoram mountains (border India and China).
go to:
34 05 55.62N 79 46 19.78 E, and rotate anticlockwise slightly and view from about 1700ft and eye alt of 226 miles to get the same scale. Pretty close match. Note the pits to the NE of the model site in china where they might have dug out fill to make the model
agree with other post that it could be a military training model - despite the abilty of using computer aided mapping etc, nothing beats the real thing in terms of being there and tasting the grit!
charliebouy
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KenGrok
Explorer
Reged: 06/28/06
Posts: 143
Loc: Germany
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Thanks for the report, Delta102. Maybe the news article will bring even more attention to Google Earth, and then Google will make enough money (how, I don't know) that they can add a few more good photos.
That news item is now the most-viewed article at that Sydney newspaper. There's a blog connected to it, a contest to see who can come up with the funniest alternative explanation for the model.
Sydney Morning Herald - Blog
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Replica of occupied India territories -- China - Huangyangtan - Scale model of landscape?
Something different -- China : Muslim cemeteries and graves
More Arabic script than I've ever seen elsewhere in GE -- Pakistan: The hills have names!
And for fun, see: China > Mystery message in the ice
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spitfirexyz
Tourist
Reged: 04/02/06
Posts: 138
Loc: Roman Empire
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"...some of the images in Google Earth and other commercial satellite imaging apps are actually
quite old (ranging from a month to a year). This is why, according to an American quoted in the
article, some of the images in Google Earth and other commercial satellite imaging apps are
actually quite old (ranging from a month to a year).
This is why, according to an American quoted in the article, "In 1999, during the Bosnian War,
we bombed the Chinese Embassy by mistake because of outdated maps and aerial images." ..."
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NATO Hawk missile sites (De, Italy, DK, Gr)
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WorldWatch
Tourist
Reged: 07/09/05
Posts: 190
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This made news in Germany today:
http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/technologie/0,1518,427936,00.html
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jeffryv
Master Guide
Reged: 07/16/05
Posts: 1390
Loc: Vancouver, BC Canada
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So much for this 3D solid-terrain model being the largest in world LOL
( My home province in Canada )
260 Million elevation data points
Cheers
Jeff
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PETSA
Tourist
Reged: 09/01/05
Posts: 37
Loc: Melbourne,AU
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thats pretty cool
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dogstar7
News Reporter
Reged: 07/22/06
Posts: 745
Loc: Oak Park, IL USA
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Here's a post of the area in the map.
Area in the Map
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"Doctor Livingstone, I presume?"
Wayne Spires: A Tower, A Man, A Stand!
Bari Italy: The 2nd Pearl Harbor
Our Lady Of The Angels School Fire
"Why on Earth are You There?" John Lennon, Instant Karma
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Jumble
Master Guide
Reged: 04/20/03
Posts: 4246
Loc: Philadelphia, PA
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UPI has picked up Kengrok's post and made it NEWS again!!
Click Here!!
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There are none so blind......
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KenGrok
Explorer
Reged: 06/28/06
Posts: 143
Loc: Germany
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Thanks for the info. The UPI release was rather weak, I think. ABC News has the find at their site, too, and it's actually pretty good (ABC News - Huangyangtan). They got the analysis of a number of authorities who had some fairly informative things to say.
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Replica of occupied India territories -- China - Huangyangtan - Scale model of landscape?
Something different -- China : Muslim cemeteries and graves
More Arabic script than I've ever seen elsewhere in GE -- Pakistan: The hills have names!
And for fun, see: China > Mystery message in the ice
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chickenswitch
Tourist
Reged: 07/12/06
Posts: 27
Loc: Cologne-Germany
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well done KenGrok !!! you have reached the turkish press too. the
content is same to other reports
greetings from cologne
chickenswitch
Turkish Press
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doniv79
First Post
Reged: 08/04/06
Posts: 1
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First Post
This region shows parts of the Aksai Chin disputed territory, the Nubra Valley, the Hanle basin, the capital city of Leh and a whole lot more. Actually this is the place where the 1962 Sino-Indian war was fought. Even today this is a high-security zone, albeit a bit less stressed since China and India have signed a treaty till 2007.
Aksai Chin was once part of the ancient Ladakh kingdom.
The largest water body in the mock-up is the Pangong Tso, as it is known in India. One-third of the lake falls in India and the rest is in China. Arguably said to be 120 kms long, it freezes over in the winters.
One can also see Tso Moriri, Tso Kar and the twin lakes of Kyun Tso (Tso stands for lake in Ladakhi). These are pretty popular tourist destinations.
The Hanle basin is also home to the highest astronomical observatory in the world, housing the Chandra telescope. This mock-up also covers the highest battlefield in the world, the Siachen glacier, since it falls approximately in this region.
So in effect, there are 3 countries here - India, China and Pakistan (technically Pakistan Occupied Kashmir).
Just returned from a month long biking vacation to these places
Regards,
Vinod.
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KenGrok
Explorer
Reged: 06/28/06
Posts: 143
Loc: Germany
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Nice to hear some details about the area. But you're probably kicking yourself for departing for Aksai Chin before reading this post. You would have saved yourself a lot of time and trouble, by choosing to head off to the replica instead. You could have walked through Aksai Chin in an afternoon without even breaking a sweat. On the other hand, perhaps the hard work of biking through the non-virtual landscape had its benefits, too.
Maybe you can post some placemarks + photos in the Travel forum when you're ready.
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Replica of occupied India territories -- China - Huangyangtan - Scale model of landscape?
Something different -- China : Muslim cemeteries and graves
More Arabic script than I've ever seen elsewhere in GE -- Pakistan: The hills have names!
And for fun, see: China > Mystery message in the ice
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KenGrok
Explorer
Reged: 06/28/06
Posts: 143
Loc: Germany
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Here's an interesting article in one of India's newspapers. Rather than repeat what has been said elsewhere the reporter has done some original research; he contacted the Chinese Army for a statement: Article in the Indian Express
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Replica of occupied India territories -- China - Huangyangtan - Scale model of landscape?
Something different -- China : Muslim cemeteries and graves
More Arabic script than I've ever seen elsewhere in GE -- Pakistan: The hills have names!
And for fun, see: China > Mystery message in the ice
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Braham_S_Aggarwal
Reged: 10/22/05
Posts: 1609
Loc: India
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Quote:
He contacted the Chinese Army for a statement:
Just a correction, Actually he had contacted an Indian Army Quarter Master, who had served on Indo-China border at Aksai Chin Area.
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Worldwide Technologies
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KenGrok
Explorer
Reged: 06/28/06
Posts: 143
Loc: Germany
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Someone at the Sydney Morning Herald blog about the replica posted this link WForum which shows a photo that could very well be from training exercises held at the Huangyangtan site. Even after installing the Chinese character set for Internet Exploder I still couldn't read the accompanying text (I suppose it would help to learn it in the first place).
What does everyone think, especially those who can read Chinese?
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Replica of occupied India territories -- China - Huangyangtan - Scale model of landscape?
Something different -- China : Muslim cemeteries and graves
More Arabic script than I've ever seen elsewhere in GE -- Pakistan: The hills have names!
And for fun, see: China > Mystery message in the ice
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spitfirexyz
Tourist
Reged: 04/02/06
Posts: 138
Loc: Roman Empire
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Hope it can help.
This is an image of the chinese (?) comment of the photo
Greetings
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Braham_S_Aggarwal
Reged: 10/22/05
Posts: 1609
Loc: India
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