Science project brings location known for its harsh climate in from the cold, Cheng Yuezhu reports.

Teenagers at the Mars Camp in the town of Lenghu, Mangya, Qinghai province, prepare to launch a rocket they built. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Legend has it that the town of Lenghu, literally, "Cold Lake", got its name in 1956, when an oil exploration team arrived in the desolate region. A team member washed his hands in a lake and found that the water was freezing cold, hence the name.

Cold weather is one of the key features of the town lying in the city of Mangya, Northwest China's Qinghai province, along with little rain and strong winds that resulted in the formation of ridges of compact sand called yardangs through erosion.

We would like to motivate the teenagers to survive using their own knowledge ... and have the passion to explore the unknown.

Gao Junling, founder of Lenghu Lab project

In the latter half of last century, the town prospered from oil mining, which then declined as a result of resource exhaustion. However, science-related projects that have been initiated in recent years are helping the town regain its former glory.

When Gao Junling, founder of Lenghu Lab, first came to the town, he was stunned by the unearthly scenery he found himself in, which, quoting others, he describes as "the place on Earth that most resembles Mars".

An astronomy aficionado, Gao considered the town an ideal location for his Lenghu Lab project, an educational program centered on science popularization. He says the inspiration for the project came from taking his teenage daughter to an open-day event hosted by the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

At the event, his daughter was fascinated by the advanced technology and fell in love with science. After graduating from high school, she chose to study mathematical physics at university.

"I realized that a good education should not only include specific knowledge and prepare students for exams, but also inspire in them a desire and interest in learning," Gao says.

Young participants hike in the wilderness near Lenghu. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

The Mars Camp was established, which can host 72 participants, and simulates the experience of landing on a desolate planet for the first time.

Upon arriving at the camp, the participants, most of whom are teenagers, are tasked with searching for resources and putting them to use, such as purifying water and building small electric generators. Over a period of 84 hours, they will complete 10 main tasks. One of the tasks is to build a rocket using 3D printing, which requires them to learn 3D modeling, before designing and constructing the rocket, carrying out tests in a wind tunnel, and finally launching it.

"We would like to motivate the teenagers to survive using their own knowledge, achieve their goals with their own effort and have the passion to explore the unknown," Gao says.

The Mars Camp is a part of the grand Lenghu Mars Town project, which aims to draw on local characteristics and help develop the area with approaches including science popularization, science fiction and technological innovation.

The project is run by Lenghu Mars Town Culture and Tourism Development Co, with support from the local government.

"Lenghu had prospered from oil mining. Now because of the depletion of oil resources, the town is seeking new ways of transformation," says Qu Xiangdong, chairman of the company.

"I feel that our project has shown that culture and tourism development must be conducted in accordance with the region's unique characteristics in order to maintain vitality and sustainability. Without green mountains or clear water, we can also utilize the yardang landforms and create innovative projects."

The company has also established the Lenghu Sci-fi Literature Award in order to support domestic sci-fi writers. Because of the region's favorable geographical conditions, the town is collaborating with major observatories, such as the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in the construction of an astronomical observatory base, building telescopes on top of the town's Saishiteng Mountain at an altitude of 4,576 meters.

Last year, Lenghu Mars Town was selected by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism as a national tourism and science demonstration zone, the only area in Qinghai province to make the list.

Contact the writer at chengyuezhu@chinadaily.com.cn