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More Mysterious Structures in China Found Using Google Earth — Even Ex-CIA Analyst Can’t Explain

Jan. 10, 2013 9:20am Liz Klimas

More than a year ago, mysterious structures spotted by Google Earth satellites in China’s Gobi desert caused quite a stir, especially as people tried to identify just what they could be. Now, more baffling structures were discovered by a former CIA analyst and even he can’t quite put his finger on what they could be for.

Wired’s DangerRoom reported that Allen Thomson was looking for something unrelated on Google Earth in southwestern China — an orbital tracking site that he’d seen mentioned on a space news website — when he stumbled upon structures he could only describe to Wired as “pretty big and funny-looking.”

Here is the complex he found on Google Earth at 39.6 N, 76.1 E near the city of Kashgar.

Google Earth Reveals Mysterious Complex in China

(Image: Google Earth via Wired)

The man who worked for the CIA from 1972 to 1985 and with the National Intelligence Council until 1996 told Wired he doesn’t have a clue what the complex is but does point out that it “went up in what I’d call an incredible hurry,” based on the dates of the images.

The image on the left shows the foundation for one of the largest buildings on the site on July 21, 2011. The image on the right shows the progress made on the structure by Nov. 16, 2011. (Image: Google Earth via Wired)

The image on the left here shows the state of the middle structures in the complex as of July 21, 2011, while the right shows them on Nov. 16, 2011. (Images: Google Earth via Wired)

Wired explained that this isn’t Thomson’s first aerial find. He found some of the grid-like images in China’s Gobi desert in 2011 and in 2008 found what was thought to be a missile bunker in Iran.

See all 10 of the images Thomson pulled out here. Let us know in the comments what you think this complex could be.

While we’re on the subject of Google Earth revealing potentially secret structures in China (it has been accused of revealing secret areas in the United States in the past as well), North Korea is a secretive frontier for which the satellite tool has been used to gain insights into what is going on there. In fact, Google’s Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt is in the country this week on a private humanitarian mission, which was not supported by the U.S. State Department. Reuters pointed out though that Google Earth might not be something Schmidt will showcase to North Koreans.

One way Google Earth has been used in North Korea is to reveal its prison camps, or gulag system. TheBlaze has reported about the images showing such camps before. Some bloggers, like Curtis Melvin and Joshua Stanton, make frequent use of Google Earth not only to expose the camps but other facilities in North Korea.

“It opens up areas of North Korea that no foreigners are allowed to see at all,” Melvin said to Reuters.

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Comments (177)

Former11BRAVO
Posted on January 10, 2013 at 11:47am
Hmmm . . . alien space port? (raises eyebrow) LOL

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- lobster
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 12:14pm
  The roadways are only dirt, one high tension line to the whole complex, no rail line, Water?, folks looks weird. Could this be like those highrise cities they have been building with NO occupants? It doesn’t appear to be an ag facility and for SURE it’s not a copper or metal refining facility.
  
  Report this comment
- jakartaman
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 1:12pm
  It was a secret getaway for the elite when the SHTF around the world – not so secret now.
  
  Report this comment
- Jim S
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 1:50pm
  …new parking garage for Romney’s fleet ?…Wal-Mart HR dept?…gosh I’ll ask a guy who has not worked for the CIA in 27yrs !! that will surely be the best source of information…we’ll list to to Wham songs while we guess.!!! how fun
  
  Report this comment
- poorrichard09
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 2:10pm
  FEMA camp? :-D
  
  Report this comment
- Mulder1
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 4:00pm
  It could be a bomb proof underground city for the Communist leaders to live in when they start a nuclear war with us.
  
  Report this comment
- hpyagl
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 5:57pm
  It’s where John Galt lives.
  
  Report this comment
- Quester55
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 6:42pm
  We use to play games with the Local Air-force Base, Those guys would fly over just to start a stampede & seemed to think they were being funny.
  Until one day some Unknown Kids made a giant cutout of a Saucer shaped disk in a lonely field along their flight path, Using some low wattage Christmas Lights & one 12 volt strobe light, On the ground, it didn’t look like much, But from the Pictures, we were later shown, It looked real enough, As lease to make a Show for, those air-jocks.
  After their Fly-By , instead of continuing on they’d turn around for a second look & then a Third. by that time, we’d cover the whole thing up until they left.
  Best darn Scare-Crow we ever built. Guess it was good enough that we were paid a visit on morning, by uniforms that said they wanted to See if any of THEIR Equipment was lost in our fields?, SURE?
  Needless to say, they found nothing, case closed.
  My point is, Couldn’t this just be a, ” RED-Herring ” , The Chinese version of a Scare Crow??
  Or more to the point, Wouldn’t it just be easier to ASK? All of this Crap of Watching each other is so old? The Cold war is over. Why start something that goes nowhere fast.?
  
  Report this comment
- LaBelle
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 7:28pm
  Maybe it’s where they’re going to keep all the American slave labor when they come and invade us. :-/
  
  Report this comment
- muffythetuffy
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 7:49pm
  SOUTH WEST CHINA…
  
  Its a new Chinese Army military base. Chinese troops are already fighting US Troops in Afghanistan near the Chinese boarder. The Chines are just moving one of their Rooks closer to the US pawns spread hap hazard around Afghanistan ready to surrender. US troops report battles in Afghanistan where the sky is full of enemy artillery and mortar shells raining down on them. The Tal Aban do not have heavy artillery in large numbers but the Chinese do.
  
  Report this comment
- Fubared
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 7:50pm
  Side view of a kid’s ant farm.
  
  Report this comment
- SendTheMeteors
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 8:29pm
  Make all the jokes you want. Ha ha. But, let’s just say, I know someone who knows someone, and this would be a huge egg in the face of Obama if the truth were ever to reach the light of day. As you have read here, the US recently signed an agreement with China. Beyond some vague generalities, the details of the pact were for some reason never released beyond the joint statement that “a mutual understanding was reached…”.
  
  The word on the street is that these are being called “rendition camps.” The official line, should the truth become widely known, will be that US jails are full and that as a temporary measure the accused will be temporarily moved to China, but “treated humanely” and “their Constitutional rights will be maintained.” What is not said it that in exchange the US has agreed not to impose trade limits on China.
  
  In my opinion this stinks to High Heaven. Any surprise there White House response has been “no comment?”
  
  Report this comment
- Wolfgang the Gray
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 9:14pm
  Obviously, this is where they make Calgon.
  
  “Ancient Chinese Secret, huh?”
  
  If you are young, you won’t have a clue what I am talking about. If you are old and don’t have a clue, your Alzheimer’s is getting worse. 8-)
  
  Report this comment
- Obama_In_PeePee_Is_Becks_Art
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 11:09pm
  “More Mysterious Structures in China Found Using Google Earth — Even Ex-CIA Analyst Can’t Explain”
  
  Communism ALWAYS mass murders it’s own people. History shows this INDISPUTABLY — Mao, Hitler, Stalin, (you name ‘em). All those bodies have to be put somewhere …
  
  Food for thought.
  
  Now think of the Progressives(communists) and their covert overthrow of the U.S. government (yes, it has ALREADY happened). FEMA has been building “camps” and “body disposal” facilities for years.
  
  Food for thought.
  
  Report this comment
- Obama_In_PeePee_Is_Becks_Art
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 11:20pm
  CONSPIRACY THEORY
  “FEMA CAMPS – Jesse Ventura”
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvndHPBOEhA
  
  Report this comment
- michaelmoron
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 11:48pm
  Here is my take on the site. It is a Prison/Organ Harvesting operation.
  
  Far Fetched?
  
  check this:
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0whb5vdtmbU
  
  Report this comment
- banjarmon
  Posted on January 11, 2013 at 12:03am
  Storage facility for BHO’s Birth Certificate ans School records!!
  
  Report this comment
- The_Cabrito_Goat
  Posted on January 11, 2013 at 2:51pm
  China is an ancient, ancient land full of undiscovered mysteries.
  
  Could be anything.
  
  Report this comment
Tyler520
Posted on January 10, 2013 at 11:44am
The construction is extremely crude and simple, even by Chinese standards. The site upkeep is horrible, almost random, and completely unkempt – one can almost certainly rule out that it is a critical installation of any sort (military, etc.)

The large structures are cheap, basic steel framed shed systems. Repetitive, light gauge steel frame, clad in corrugated steel – very few signs of infrastructure (power, plumbing, mechanical). As an architect, I would suggest it is a warehouse, assembly facility, or packaging facility – most likely a packaging plant associated with the nearby agriculture.

The small, linear and ‘horseshoe’ shaped structures look like a combination of dry storage and/or shoddy housing – modular, repetitive concrete, or masonry. By looking at the shadows of the unfinished and/or unroofed ‘buildings,’ you can see that some only contain a door – they highly resemble basic dry storage units, which would further indicate an industrial application.

However, the shadow profiles of other units show both a door AND a window, and several of the units that have roofs also have methane gas vents above each module, suggesting plumbing for bathrooms – these are, quite possibly, cheap housing for the laborers – if you’ve ever been in the southwest, or southern California in agricultural areas, you will be familiar with comparable cheap motel-like apartments and trailer parks set up for farm hands.

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- nectoxicdragon
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 12:31pm
  Tyler the chinese dont care about basic human “needs” only basic survival. These look like quickly assembled dwellings, and you are pretty much spot on with your descriptions. But something that everyone has forgotten, is China is STILL an opressive nation and dissidents still disappear. The Gobi is China’s “siberia” and this does look very much like a detention facility. It’s in an area where a fence to keep “inmates” in would be a waste of resources, as they would not be able to walk out of the facility to freedom, due to lack of natural resources to live off of and the inability to carry sufficient supplies for the time and distance necessary for the trip. And this doesnt even take into concideration the inhospitable environment of the desert.
  
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- tharpdevenport
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 7:13pm
  So, big prison camps for dissidents. Or maybe a big prison, one of many that coudl go up, if it’s a build up to some battle with Japan. Unlikely the second idea, but China hasn’t been making very good decisions for a few years now.
  
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MisterSarcastic
Posted on January 10, 2013 at 11:33am
Barack and Moochies next vacation stop?

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- hatchetjob
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 1:12pm
  That would save us a bundle.
  
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- GumRock
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 11:38pm
  A Huge bunch of safety deposit boxes for all the Money the USA owes them
  
  Report this comment
The-Monk
Posted on January 10, 2013 at 11:18am
Mass graveyard???

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- 1ONE1
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 5:45pm
  Concentration/FEMA camp the large blue facility is probably a gas chamber and the smaller facilities are probably where they’ll incinerate the bodies of all us who stand with God and Israel.
  
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- soybomb315_II
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 6:20pm
  Alex Jones kook alert!
  
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- Mr.buff1959
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 7:53pm
  No man they just growin the best CHY KOSH hydro.
  
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Acena
Posted on January 10, 2013 at 11:03am
A Costco or a UN camp for sex workers.

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- brntout
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 1:58pm
  Un’s attempt at AI.Looks like a bio-mass chip from a computer.May be trying to hardwire the Earth ala Al Bore and his global heater nut jobs.
  
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Stoic one
Posted on January 10, 2013 at 10:54am
This is close enough to a population center that it is probably harmless; shopping mall for knock off American products, industrial stuff.
The economic war that our ‘leaders’ are trying to lose concerns me more.

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Brainmuffin
Posted on January 10, 2013 at 10:52am
Look like FEMA camps to me.

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Eastinfection
Posted on January 10, 2013 at 10:25am
Parking lot for Manderin-Disney?

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thibx
Posted on January 10, 2013 at 10:18am
fema camps oboma taught them how.

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redfish52
Posted on January 10, 2013 at 10:10am
I worked at a large copper mining facility in Southern Mongolia. This look very similar to it and is most probably a smelting facility. Remember China is now the largest consumer of copper, palladium, gold, silver etc.

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- blanco5
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 10:37am
  And I am SURE they’re incredibly enviromentally conscience!
  
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- Pillar of Fire
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 11:28am
  They are also the largest HOLDER of these rare earths. And they know it. Wouldn’t be such a big deal, but these are the exact metals used in cell phones, computers, etc.
  PS- good one, Blanco5
  
  Report this comment
- kettererbg
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 2:16pm
  I agree. It looks like there are mining entrances near the top of the photos. The big building is probably used for prisoners used as laborers. The smaller barracks are probably for the staff. Yup. Looks like a mining camp.
  
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Tigress1
Posted on January 10, 2013 at 10:01am
Has anyone thought of ASKING THE CHINESE what the structures are? I’m sick of sitting around speculating all the time. Just ask, and maybe you will find out!

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- oldguy49
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 10:10am
  oh,this is easy…..they are fema camps for american workers to help pay off the debt !!!!!!
  
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- Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 10:11am
  Assuming they even told us the truth, how could we trust the Obama administration to share the truth with us as well? Most likely these sites are just part of the ongoing economic programs of the Chinese government, yet many places can have dual civilian-military applications.
  
  Also, given that they know how good our satellites are, these could have been built as part of a true deception plan to cause our government to waste resources to find out ‘what is it’ when nothing is there.
  
  Report this comment
- Tigress1
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 10:33am
  Why do we have to go through the government to get answers? Surely SOMEONE in America has friends/family in China that knows someone who knows things! Yeah, we don’t trust OUR government to tell us the truth, but right now the Chinese gov. might be more honest with us that our own! Just ASK, and maybe we will learn something!
  
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- Jedrin
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 10:40am
  what fun would that be?
  
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- Tigress1
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 10:51am
  @Jedrin, Hee! Hee! It might not be fun, but at least we might learn something! Don’t we have bigger fish to fry right now?
  
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- frust@ted
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 11:27am
  Tigress,
  You could put this same building in the mohave desert, and 99.9% of Americans would have no idea what it is for.
  
  .
  
  Report this comment
- grimmster
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 2:27pm
  @Tigress1.
  Yep, lets ask them what they are, i can here their response now,”no habla”……….
  
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TROONORTH
Posted on January 10, 2013 at 10:00am
The complex is being readied to produce huge amounts of ‘Chicken balls in red sauce’. It is believed by the chinese, that Americans will eat themselves to death when the sticky mess is dropped on large urban areas.

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term limits for congress
Posted on January 10, 2013 at 9:58am
Super Wal-Mart.

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woodyee
Posted on January 10, 2013 at 9:58am
Maybe it’s the new “People’s Palace”, built to house the extended families of the rulers of the People.

Speaking of extended families – anyone seen my MarybethElizabeth? I could go for a bear-claw donut right about now…

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SpaceRaider
Posted on January 10, 2013 at 9:56am
Chinese Area 51. Hey, they need a place to test new jets and weapons too. What better place than a desert wasteland.

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GuruMeditation
Posted on January 10, 2013 at 9:55am
It’s area 52. My guess is there’s much more to see under those mountains to the north.

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- woodyee
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 10:01am
  Good point! Let’s look at the photos as if they had a watermark compass. First photo, at approx. 350 degrees (clock – 11:00 – 11:30) – nothing.
  
  All the other photos show a dark rectangular structure up there on the high ground.
  
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RJJinGadsden
Posted on January 10, 2013 at 9:50am
They are trying to fill in the Gobi Desert so there will be no more remakes of Flight Of The Phoenix.
Guess that was as dumb as any other guess.

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ArmedAndReallyPissed
Posted on January 10, 2013 at 9:46am
It’s a vast network of Fast Food joints for when Micheal Moore goes on Vacation.

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- texastommy
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 11:05am
  Not big enough.
  
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Exidor
Posted on January 10, 2013 at 9:46am
Noodle factory?

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BLAZE-READER1
Posted on January 10, 2013 at 9:43am
So is China not supposed be be building structures in their own desert?

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- Cavallo
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 9:51am
  Not without the approval of the Messiah. The question really is, did Obama say they could build there? If not then they have a lot to answer for!
  
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- IndyGuy
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 9:52am
  Does this development conform to Agenda 21???
  
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- GO-FOR-LIBERTY
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 1:40pm
  I say a new GM factory. For cars that go POOF!
  
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hempstead1944
Posted on January 10, 2013 at 9:37am
Spent nuclear fuel storage.

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- nectoxicdragon
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 12:39pm
  no they use spent nuke fuel to make the glow in the dark hands and numbers on the $5.99 watches that are peddaled at wally world…
  
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IndyGuy
Posted on January 10, 2013 at 9:36am
It’s the new compound for Obama….Once he’s through turning America Communist and handing the keys to the Chinese,a guy’s gotta have a place to go…

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- Cavallo
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 9:44am
  Dissident camp for Americans who resist the regime of the Messiah? What better way to get rid of them than ship them off to another continent? Although, the Chinese might not be as brutal, Marxist, or autocratic enough for the Brilliant Comrade, Bobo the Gay, Dog Eating Wonder Marxist.
  
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- blanco5
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 10:41am
  Nah, CAVALLO it’s so much easier to just starve the masses like Stalin did.
  
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- nectoxicdragon
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 12:36pm
  its a kennel to rais barack food
  
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ZAP
Posted on January 10, 2013 at 9:33am
Burger King?

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- GuruMeditation
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 9:56am
  You mean Burger Emperor.
  
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jcldwl
Posted on January 10, 2013 at 9:31am
Could be a military base, re-education camp, extermination camp, mining facility, manufacturing plant. It’s in China, who knows who cares.

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woodyee
Posted on January 10, 2013 at 9:27am
Those buildings are housing the assembly lines for the new IPad…

…it’s just as good a guess as yours! >:-P

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- Cavallo
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 9:41am
  It’s the production factory for the Chevy Volt/
  
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- Nancys Red Diaper Doper Babies
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 10:08am
  It’s GE’s new factory.
  
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