Charklik (Ruoqiang)

A ruined city in the Lop Desert. The city was the capital of a small kingdom of the same name, which began to flourish from the 2nd century BC onward. In the 1st century BC, the kingdom came under Chinese control and was renamed Shanshan, but the city itself continued to be known as Loulan. The city was abandoned in the 4th century AD, apparently due to the Tarim River changing course and depriving the city of its water supply. Visiting Loulan today is extremely difficult. Indeed, this is probably one of the hardest places in China to visit. A special permit is required from the Ruoqiang County government. Getting the permit is said to require a lot of paperwork and you will likely have to get the approval of the Chinese military, as the area is under military control. The permit is also very expensive, particularly for foreigners. The permit costs ¥3500 for Chinese nationals but foreign visitors are expected to cough up ¥300,000 (no joke). The authorities are no doubt mindful that many artefacts from the site were spirited out of the country by foreign archaeologists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Even if you succeed in getting a permit, your trip to Loulan is likely to be rather challenging as the Lop Desert is very inhospitable and prone to violent sand storms. Hundreds of people have reportedly died in the desert, including some eminent Chinese explorers. Solo travel is too dangerous and will not be approved by the authorities. Visitors are expected to travel in convoys consisting of multiple off-road vehicles, but even off-road vehicles are susceptible to getting stuck in the sand.

This museum holds artefacts excavated from archeological sites associated with the ancient kingdom of Loulan.

An agricultural tourism site focused on Ruoqiang's well-known red date cultivation and local farming landscape.