Lop Nur

American  

[lawp noor] / ˈlɔp ˈnʊər /

Also Lop Nor

noun

1. a series of salt lakes and marshes in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, in northwestern China: nuclear test site.

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Etymology

Origin of Lop Nur

First recorded in 1895–1900; from Mongolian: literally, “Lop Lake” ( Lop being a toponym of unknown origin), or from Uyghur Lop Nur “Bright Lake”

Example Sentences

Mr. Yeaw, an assistant secretary at State, added details: “The probable explosion occurred right near the Lop Nur nuclear test site” in China.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026

McDowell says satellite sensing shows the spacecraft gliding and performing a runway landing at the Lop Nur military base in China’s northwest Xinjiang region, suggesting that it is a plane.

From Scientific American • May 18, 2023

These included the flourishing Loulan kingdom on vast Lake Lop Nur, before its water evaporated in the 5th century.

From Washington Times • Oct. 17, 2021

At a testing site called Lop Nur, the government of what was still called Red China performed its first successful nuclear explosion.

From New York Times • Sep. 5, 2014

What’s more, the wild camels in China have survived no less than 43 atmospheric nuclear tests in the former Lop Nur test area, right on their doorstep.

From National Geographic