Last summer, a week before my departure for America, I drove with a friend, crossing a signal-free highway to reach this abandoned town. Named Shitanjing, it is located near Helan Mountain in Ningxia Province, China. Once surrounded by mining areas within hundreds of miles, it was established in 1958, with the entire town living off coal mining and trading. As coal resources depleted, the majority of the population moved away, leaving the town increasingly desolate. Yet remnants of that era, such as slogans left by the government when promoting mining, and traces of people's lives amidst the ruins, are still visible.
