The Mystery of Lop Nor

Lop Nor is located in the farthest eastern part of the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang and is the terminal lake of the Tarim River.In the world’s most arid area,lies such a large lake of over 300 square kilometers,there,it is extremely hot in summer and bitterly cold in winter,and very windy and sandy,and it is hardly accessible to people.All those have added the color of mystery to Lop Nur.

The reason which made Lop Nur very famous is firstly,Lop Nur was situated at the key section of the Silk Road.The opening and development of the Silk Road and the prosperity and decline of the ancient Loulan City,were closely linked with the river course in the lower reaches of the Tarim River and with the changes of Lop Nur.Secondly,after Zhang Qian made a journey to the Western Region,it was circulated that the water of the Tarim River flow underground at Yanze and came out in the south to become the source of the Yellow River.This added more mystery to Lop Nur.And in recent times,Lop Nur has become well-known in China and foreign countries mainly because of the academic argument in geomorphology about the move of Lop Nur since the late 19^th centry.

With the use of the new research means,it is proved that between the 10^th century and the late 18^th century or some time later,in Yengisu-Ara Gan area in the lower reaches of the Tarim River,there was a lake which was the terminal lake of the Tarim River.In the map of the Qing Dynasty,it was called Lop Nur.Today,in accordance with the research materials,the whole process of the move of Lop Nur because of the changes in climate and the course of the Tarim River and in water volume can be sketched out.Since the sixties,because large-scale land reclamation,the river water from the middle reaches of the Tarim River to the lower reaches decreased.Therefor,the Daxihaizi Reservoir has,in fact ,become the terminal lake of the Tarim River.Hence it made Lop Nur dried.