China's 'atomic town' becomes cyclists' hub

Once China's 'atomic town' where the country's nuclear bombs were made, Xihai in the country's northwest has been transformed into a haven for cyclists from home and abroad.
The once-forbidden mysterious town, Xihai has witnessed cyclists swarming to attend the 'Tour de Qinghai Lake', an international road cycling race since 2002.
The town, where the country's first atomic and hydrogen bombs were created in the 1960s, sits along the northern bank of the Qinghai Lake in China's Qinghai Province and is 3,200 metres above sea level.
It was built on the site of Factory 221, launched in 1958 for the development of the country's nuclear weapons.

The factory was closed in 1987 and was handed over to the local government in 1993. Most of the architecture of the factory has been kept intact.
The amount of radiation emitted by minor radioactive contaminants in Xihai is far below the level deemed safe by the Chinese government, after years of work to clear the radiation pollution, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

A total of 154 cyclists from 16 countries and regions are competing for prizes worth USD 700,000 this year.
With the growing influence of the race, amateur cyclists and tourists have swarmed into the town.
More than three lakh people have cycled in the town in the past 11 years, according to Feng Jianping, head of the provincial sports administration.

China's largest cycling service base has been established in the town, which can serve 1,000 tourists with bicycle rentals and tutoring, maintenance, accommodation, dining and entertainment.