Growing up in “404 Not Found”: China's nuclear city in the Gobi Desert

Posted by Vincent_Yan404 12/28/2025

Growing up in “404 Not Found”: China's nuclear city in the Gobi Desert(substack.com)

810 points | 369 commentspage 4

martin-t 12/28/2025|

> Our license plates started with “Gan-A,” the same as the provincial capital. We laughed at people from other cities like Jiayuguan (“Gan-B”) or Jiuquan (“Gan-F”). Even as kids, we joked, “We’re still number one.” Because our grandparents were the country’s elite and we lived in the “Nuclear City,” I always felt like I was living at the center of the world.

Am I reading too much into this or does China have a culture of competition which involves mocking those you deem below you even for the most shallow reasons?

Vincent_Yan404 12/28/2025||

That’s a very observant question. I wouldn’t say it’s a universal Chinese culture of competition, but rather a reflection of the naive, bubble-like pride we had as children in that specific environment.

We genuinely believed we were special because of the city's status, even if that pride was based on something as shallow as a license plate. It was our way of making sense of our 'elite' isolation. The irony is that this unrealistic sense of superiority made the eventual loss of our home even more disorienting. When the world you thought was the 'center' disappears, you're left feeling completely lost.

embedding-shape 12/28/2025|||

Mocking those below you is almost a global phenomena that humans seems to have been doing almost forever, and still do, almost everywhere on the planet. Doesn't really strike me as something uniquely Chinese by any margins.

Aboutplants 12/28/2025||

You can even take it a step farther because animals display the same type of behavior

throw4r3w45 12/28/2025|||

You are reading too much into this.

It would be like someone writing an article about growing up in a town with a winning sports team, joking with others about those living in towns with losing sports teams.

Imagine someone reading that and commenting, “…am I reading too much into this or does America have a culture of competition which involves mocking those you deem below you even for the most shallow reasons?”

wodenokoto 12/28/2025|||

In my school in Europe we had 4 classes for each grade. A, B, C and D. Guess who felt they were better than everybody else?

brabel 12/28/2025|||

Same in Brazil, but I think everyone thought their classes were superior regardless of their letter! Obviously B is the best btw ;)

eden-u4 12/28/2025||||

mine too, but none was such a dick. also, anything related to school (particularly at a young age), is not viewed as something to boast of (at least in my experience in italy, serbia and portugal).

Vincent_Yan404 12/28/2025|||

Who?

ThePowerOfFuet 12/28/2025||

What comes before A?

ceejayoz 12/28/2025||

Do you really not think this happens outside China?

I’ve lived in the US and Australia. Both have the exact same phenomenon.

arjie 12/28/2025||

Incredible account. I love these. If you posted translation would you mind posting the original as well? Great story.

Vincent_Yan404 12/28/2025|

Thank you！Here is the original link https://news.qq.com/rain/a/20240110A03FKJ00

arjie 12/29/2025||

Thank you!

aduwah 12/28/2025||

Thank you for sharing your story. Cannot wait for the next part

didntknowyou 12/28/2025||

nice read. interesting experience and great writing. looking forward to the next part.

Vincent_Yan404 12/28/2025|

Thank you! I will post soon.

ElijahLynn 12/28/2025||

"Once, a soldier entered the residential area after coming into contact with radioactive material. His hands turned a necrotic black, like charred wood. The authorities didn’t just isolate him; they traced his entire trajectory and burned every single item he had touched. A friend of my father lost his entire sofa because of this. Witnessing such scorched-earth containment makes the modern definition of nuclear power as the ‘cleanest energy’ completely incomprehensible to me."

mrheosuper 12/29/2025||

>The first generation of 404 were the country’s brightest elites.

I am interersted in how did China convince those people to move to this "harsh and painful" city. I assume with their top skill, they had options to live anywhere they want, and a lot ot places want them.

The "stick" does not always work, you have to use "carrot" too.

tsoukase 12/28/2025||

First thank you for the sincere description. Second aren't you afraid that the government doesn't run after you? Is this event officially declassified? You certainly provide only childish memories but... you know.

I am glad to know there was a third place besides USA and USSR preparing nuclear stuff during the cold war.

Vincent_Yan404 12/29/2025|

I published this in China, they didn't bother me, so I hope it's fine here.

vjay15 12/29/2025||

This had me hooked

ElijahLynn 12/28/2025||

"My biggest dream in kindergarten was to be a big brother. I wanted to care for a younger sibling. But under the One-Child Policy, if my mother had another child, she and my dad would lose their jobs. She had to follow the rules and terminate a pregnancy. My wish was impossible."

electroglyph 12/28/2025|

those jerks put a zoo in the desert!? =(

Vincent_Yan404 12/28/2025|

Yes, next part I will talk about the zoo.I will post on Monday.

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