Mysterious Chinese Structures in the Desert

[Gaius Marius]

I heard about this over the radio this morning. Apparently, on the net is circulating the pictures of weird and unexplained structures built in the middle of the Ghobi desert, in China.

All of them can be found on google maps. One of them is at the coordinate 40.457528, 93.382194

Just search "Chinese desert structure" on Goggle and you will find articles about them.

What do you think? Chinese satellite/infrastructure test project? Beacons for aliens? The doors of Yog-Sothoth temple?

[Arminius]

The one with giant characters saying border guard was probably just the border army being bored. Some of them look like they might be research installations to see what kind of plants might grow well there given proper irrigation. Some look like ruins. The rest I don't know, but they probably serve some sort of infrastructure purpose. I doubt any of them have any genuinely secret purpose. Satellite surveillance is well known. The Chinese government is probably smart enough to properly camouflage or otherwise better hide something actually important.

[Winter_Wolf]

At those coordinates you gave, it looks exactly like eroded foundations for a giant keep and city streets surrounded by a city wall. The only thing that I see strange is how perfectly straight some of those lines are, considering how most Chinese cities look. Then again, if it was indeed a military outpost (which is my guess based on being in the Gobi), it seems less strange. As to why none of the streets inside the wall foundations run in a standard grid formation, chalk it up to feng shui on a city building scale.

[Dr.Epic]

Beacons for aliens? The doors of Yog-Sothoth temple?

Don't be ridiculous. It's just a weather balloon or swamp gas.:smallwink:

[Telonius]

Clearly it's the former site of one of Fu Manchu's secret bases. The Si-Fan probably abandoned it decades ago.

[grimbold]

Don't be ridiculous. It's just a weather balloon or swamp gas.:smallwink:

*childhood is ruined*

[Asta Kask]

I haven't seen the pictures, but can this be artifacts from how Google does things? Remember the Atlantis lines last year?

[Gaius Marius]

I haven't seen the pictures, but can this be artifacts from how Google does things? Remember the Atlantis lines last year?

2 years ago.

And google's explanation did not explained everything, it might very well be a cover up :-)

[Dire Moose]

Personally, I blame it all on giant space monkeys.

[Gaius Marius]

Personally, I blame it all on giant space monkeys.

Make it Hamsters, and I'll get on your boat!

[RandomNPC]

Make it Hamsters, and I'll get on your boat!

Make it a Giant Space Squid, and the Doctor will get his T.A.R.D.I.S. on your boat. (Yes, I read to many comic books)

[H Birchgrove]

Clearly it's the former site of one of Fu Manchu's secret bases. The Si-Fan probably abandoned it decades ago.

I love you. :smallredface:

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Strange stuff. The water-plant with the cooling plants shaped like the nuclear ones? Zoom right in on the water. There are strange lines in the 'water'.

[polity4life]

What's unusual is that something is actually being reported about China that pertains to satellite imagery. Unless the place of note is meant for public viewing, you really don't hear or see much coming out of China that is outright mysterious.

I would say the more alarming structure is the big, circular in Winnipeg that, as of around fall this year, has suddenly become a place of social significance.

How about them Jets?

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

How about them Jets?

Best logo ever.
http://nbcprohockeytalk.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/newjetslogo.jpg?w=262

[LaZodiac]

Strange stuff. The water-plant with the cooling plants shaped like the nuclear ones? Zoom right in on the water. There are strange lines in the 'water'.

I can't get any of these spy sattelitte programs to work, could to screen cap that for me?

[Pika...]

Area 52? O.o

[shadow_archmagi]

Don't be ridiculous. It's just a weather balloon or swamp gas.:smallwink:

Science is about finding the most credible explanation. and since Gary has the highest credibility score here, you are a weather balloon.

[H Birchgrove]

First hit on website search on Google is this thread. There are only two hits. :smalltongue:

[Arminius]

Thats because Google is part of the conspiracy to cover up the aliens.:smallwink:

EDIT: While we are on subject of strange things in China, anyone hear about the Baigong Pipes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baigong_Pipes)?

[Yora]

Most of the paterns seem to be part of a military testing ground, which probably makes the other ones something similar.

This is the area in question (http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=40.481165,93.5606&spn=0.182535,0.436707&t=k&z=12&vpsrc=6). You can zoom in a lot more.
At the highest detail, you can see lots of vehicle tracks in the ground.

[Dr.Epic]

Well if recent Marvel Superhero films have taught me anything, it's a alien/deity or a frozen WWII veteran.:smallwink:

[Mono Vertigo]

Alien? WWII veteran?
You poor fools, it's obviously the sign of an Eldritch Abomination's coming.
Or awakening.
You know, something ominous.
And big.
And ominous.

[Asta Kask]

Used to calibrate Chinese spy satellites? (http://www.space.com/13646-mystery-structures-china-desert-spy-satellite.html)

[Dr.Epic]

Alien? WWII veteran?
You poor fools, it's obviously the sign of an Eldritch Abomination's coming.
Or awakening.
You know, something ominous.
And big.
And ominous.

Nah. That superhero film wasn't as good.

[Telonius]

Some other possibilities...

- World's largest Tangram.
- Attempt to beat the Great Wall's record for "objects visible from space."
- Result of a drunken bet between Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin.
- Tibet just messing with everybody.
- Warehouse for US bonds.
- World-class panda breeding facility
- Unexpectedly low take-out demand; had to do something with all those chopsticks and little white baskets.

[Kneenibble]

I would say the more alarming structure is the big, circular in Winnipeg that, as of around fall this year, has suddenly become a place of social significance.

How about them Jets?

We have a big circular structure? :smallconfused:

[Feytalist]

- Attempt to beat the Great Wall's record for "objects visible from space."

Apparently that's untrue. The Great Wall is not visible from space. Not that I've ever been to space.

That palm-shaped island in Dubai is, though.

[Gaius Marius]

Apparently that's untrue. The Great Wall is not visible from space. Not that I've ever been to space.

That palm-shaped island in Dubai is, though.

It's a peninsula/archipelago. And there are 2 of them, one more planned, but aborted after Dubai's financia crisis.

[Dr.Epic]

Well, like all mysterious things, I sure it's just...

a creepy old guy in a costume with a deed to a water park trying to scary folks away:smallwink:

[Feytalist]

It's a peninsula/archipelago. And there are 2 of them, one more planned, but aborted after Dubai's financia crisis.

I stand corrected. And I didn't even know about the second one. I remember the first one was a pretty big deal back in the day.

Edit: And I just found out they are actually called the Palm Islands. I feel slightly vindicated :smallbiggrin:

[Yora]

Then there is also HAMAD (http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=24.340841,54.323273&spn=0.054663,0.109177&t=h&z=14&vpsrc=6). Seems to need some restoration, though.

[Rorrik]

First the Atlantis cover up (you know Google's got an expedition making good with the natives of Atlantis right now, their smart phone won't even need the Motorola patents once they bring the tech back. Heck, the Google-Atlantis tech is probably already half way through the patent office) and now this!

On the google map link posted it looks like the desert washes have moved dirt on top of the structure/shape/thing. Of course, it also looks like there are gigantic tire tracks all around it, so maybe my eyes are playing tricks. I'm going with doors of Yog-Sothoth temple.

[Andvare]

http://wikimapia.org/#lat=40.4690208&lon=93.451767&z=13&l=0&m=b

Military testing grounds seems like the best bet.