Nuclear Testing - Desert of Lop

The area , once closed off was the home of 45 tests - 23 atmospheric and 22 underground all conducted at Lop Nur Nuclear Weapons Test Base in Malan Xinjiang

Xinjiang is home to several Muslim Turkic groups including the Uighurs and the Kazakhs . Other minority ethnic groups include Hui Chinese the Kirghiz the Mongols the Russians the Xibes the Tajik the Uzbek the Tatars and the Manchus .