Mutated Sheep in Atomic City Sold to Butchers

In China's Atomic City, a sting regarding the sale of contaminated sheep to local butchers is minimal.
A recent report from the Canadian news publication "The Globe and Mail” shed light on a potentially life threatening situation in Xihai, China. Xihai is known for being the location of China's first nuclear weapons tests that took place more than fifty years ago.

Despite the elapsed time evidence remains showing the tests left long lasting effects damaging the soil in the area. In light of the history of the location, a phlegmatic attitude toward the lingering radiation risks is common in the city. The shepherds and tourists keep a passive eye on the problem and do little to avoid interaction with the radioactive soil.

There is still trade of toothless sheep between local shepherds and butchers who sell the meat to local citizens. A reporter from the Canadian publication "The Globe and Mail," pointed out that the city Xihai is 3,000 meters above sea level on the Tibetan plateau. The city is proudly labeled as China's "Atomic City" due to its hosting of the detonation of China's first atomic weapon on Oct.16, 1964. The location Is now a popular tourist spot.

A nuclear power reactor under construction. (photo by Reuters)
The recent report mentioned two shepherds whose sheep grazed on the land not far from what was previously known as Factory Number 1. Factory Number 1 was the region's chief nuclear-research facility, which to this day is a functioning power plant. The shepherds say they sell their sick sheep to butchers once they lose their teeth, but have no idea where the meat ends up.

That lackadaisical attitude toward lingering radiation risks is common in Xihai. As the shepherds keep a passive eye on their flocks, half-naked children play in the same stream where the shepherds say the soil is contaminated. The surrounding Jin-yin-tan grasslands, where the area’s nuclear waste from that era is believed to be buried, is now a popular tourist spot as well.

Many tourists who want to experience a night under the stars on the Tibetan plateau are attracted to the hazardous area but are rarely warned of the radiation problem. The Chinese government began its work in the field of nuclear weaponry in the late 1950’s before its first successful explosion. The communist regime built their first base for nuclear weapon research in a closed military plot consisting of 1700square kilo-meters. Scientists successfully researched and assembled their first Atom-bomb and Hydrogen-bomb on that base. Now the land is a site that holds a splendid scene for tourists who visit China.

There is an exhibition hall on base that utilizes Atom-bomb testing and is called "bulleting court". The “bulleting court” is a place for scientists to research Atom-bomb, Hydrogen-bomb testing, as well as the "welding bomb module" and "pangolin bullet test."There are seven exhibition rooms on the base. The first one exhibits a background for launching the base construction. The second room is meant to act as a location for processing of building the base. The third room provides a place for the detonation of two bombs. The fourth room holds artifacts to exhibit the items marking the researcher’s achievements. The fifth room one holds items that show the glorious retirement of the site. The sixth room is designed to showcase the change of turning the metaphorical sword into a plow, a peaceful tool. The seventh room boasts the new look of Xihai. The exhibition hall shows their construction and development thru a massive collection of pictures to draw a large number of people from all over the world who want to probe into the mysterious tour here.