Thank you for sharing your story. Cannot wait for the next part
Growing up in “404 Not Found”: China's nuclear city in the Gobi Desert
151–160 of 391 posts
Re: Growing up in “404 Not Found”: China's nuclear city in the Gobi Desert
#152Hi HN, OP here. I grew up in "Factory 404," a secret nuclear industrial city in the Gobi Desert that officially didn't exist on public maps. This is a memoir about my childhood there. It was a surreal place: we had elite scientists living next to laborers, a zoo in the middle of the desert, and distinct "communist" welfare, all hidden behind a classified code. This is Part 1 of the story. I'm happy to answer any ques…
Hi OP, as a side question, are you using an LLM like ChatGPT to translate or write your comments here?
Re: Growing up in “404 Not Found”: China's nuclear city in the Gobi Desert
#153Earlier quoted context omitted.
Great article, thx for sharing it! What i want to know, where exactly is this city? I mean geographically, i even could not locate it on GMaps or the like?? I mean, i get it, thats the whole point isnt it? Still curious.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/40%C2%B013'48.0%22N+97%C2%...
Damn, that looks awful, those tailings alone…
Re: Growing up in “404 Not Found”: China's nuclear city in the Gobi Desert
#154This was a great read. Can't wait for the next installment. Where do you live now?
Re: Growing up in “404 Not Found”: China's nuclear city in the Gobi Desert
#155Amazing, related story. I had a friend that always talked about growning up in 418 Pennsylvania. It began as a company town for a ceramics manufacturer in the 1920s. The factory specialized in heat resistant vessels. You know like kettles, pitchers, industrial teapots. Each stamped each with a model number tied to production lines. Line 418 was the most profitable. When the post office opened, the clerk assumed “418”…
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Re: Growing up in “404 Not Found”: China's nuclear city in the Gobi Desert
#156Incredible account. I love these. If you posted translation would you mind posting the original as well? Great story.
Re: Growing up in “404 Not Found”: China's nuclear city in the Gobi Desert
#157Hi HN, OP here. I grew up in "Factory 404," a secret nuclear industrial city in the Gobi Desert that officially didn't exist on public maps. This is a memoir about my childhood there. It was a surreal place: we had elite scientists living next to laborers, a zoo in the middle of the desert, and distinct "communist" welfare, all hidden behind a classified code. This is Part 1 of the story. I'm happy to answer any ques…
Thanks a lot, I really first thought "404" was just a geek reference and not the actual code name ! I have some very good friends which are Chinese but are not able to read English, do you mind if I do a AI translation, and if you can check it to see if it translate what you're trying to convey ? (I propose that as I think it would be too much to ask to ask to redo the text in Chinese) Edit: haha I see you actually d…
Is it just a coincidence that the HTTP code for “not found” became the same as the code name for this city?
Re: Growing up in “404 Not Found”: China's nuclear city in the Gobi Desert
#158This is a fascinating glimpse into a world most people will never experience. A few questions if you're open to sharing:
1. How did the classification level affect everyday social interactions? Were there topics that were implicitly off-limits even within the city among residents?
2. You mentioned the zoo in the middle of the desert - what drove that decision? Was it purely for morale/quality of life, or were there other factors?
3. Looking back now with perspective, how do you think growing up in such a unique environment shaped your worldview compared to peers who grew up in "normal" Chinese cities?
Also really interested in hearing about the technical side if you're comfortable sharing - what was the general sentiment among the scientists and engineers about their work? Did they talk about it as "nation-building" or was it more pragmatic?
Looking forward to Part 2!
Re: Growing up in “404 Not Found”: China's nuclear city in the Gobi Desert
#159Something about this feels off. Anyone else?
Re: Growing up in “404 Not Found”: China's nuclear city in the Gobi Desert
#160Amazing, related story. I had a friend that always talked about growning up in 418 Pennsylvania. It began as a company town for a ceramics manufacturer in the 1920s. The factory specialized in heat resistant vessels. You know like kettles, pitchers, industrial teapots. Each stamped each with a model number tied to production lines. Line 418 was the most profitable. When the post office opened, the clerk assumed “418”…
You had me there!! But I've been to a place called "Pie Town" NM which got its name in a similar way, so I figured it could have been true!