China's secret facility that built the first atomic bomb
Factory 221 was once a top-secret facility where China's first nuclear weapons were manufactured.
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The missile model is located at Factory 221, a secret facility on a remote plateau in northwestern China where the country's first nuclear weapons were built. Photo:New York Times. |
Nestled in the highlands of northwestern China lie the ruins of a remote city wiped off the map in 1958. Dilapidated machine shops, empty bunkers and abandoned dormitories are all that remains of Factory 221.
On a high-altitude grassland called Jinyintan in Qinghai province, thousands of Tibetan and Mongolian herders were once relocated to build a secret city for China's first nuclear arsenal, according toNew York Times.
“It was completely secret, you had to have a pass,” said Pengcuo Zhuoma, 56, a Mongolian herder who lives near the factories. His family used to supply meat and milk to scientists at Factory 221. “You had to tape your mouth shut, you weren’t allowed to talk about it.”
However, everything changed in the 1990s when what is now known as the “Atomic City” became a symbol of patriotism, a memorial to the scientists and staff who worked hard on the Plant 221 project despite facing harsh conditions at more than 3,300 meters above sea level.
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Inside the Atomic City Museum. Photo:New York Times. |
A museum, currently closed to foreigners, displays artifacts and provides information that ancient weapons were made mainly to counter threats to China from the United States and the Soviet Union.
They built China’s first atomic bomb, detonated in 1964, and then its first hydrogen bomb, tested in 1967. They also helped develop nuclear-tipped missiles. Today, those involved in the project still proudly boast about how they helped China build its nuclear deterrent.
While the scientists’ contributions have been recognized, the rest of the site’s history remains obscure. Those who worked on the project say they were not protected from radiation in nuclear plants, nor did they receive effective care after they fell ill, often with cancer.
"Behind the glory of successfully building two bombs and launching satellites, many people had to sacrifice. Most of those sacrifices were unnecessary," said Wei Shijie, 76, a retired physicist who worked at Factory 221 in the 1960s.
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At its peak, Factory 221 had up to 18 workshops, laboratories and buildings scattered over an area of nearly 570 square kilometers. Illustration photo:New York Times. |
The beauty of Jinyintan had been celebrated in songs and a film since 1953. But after 1958, Jinyintan suddenly disappeared from the map. Chinese scientists and Soviet advisers, who had helped China develop its nuclear program from its infancy until the split of the two powers in 1959, chose this place as the site for the project.
According to documents from the Factory 221 museum, the herders on the Kim Ngan Than grasslands left voluntarily, supported by the state and provided with thousands of sheep. But many say this is not the whole story, some resistance movements did take place.
Thousands of scientists, technicians and soldiers then flocked to Project 221. At its peak, Factory 221 had 18 workshops, laboratories and buildings scattered over an area of nearly 570 square kilometers with 30,000 scientists, workers and guards.