This episode explores claims that China's history of isolationism may conceal evidence of extraterrestrial contact spanning thousands of years to the present day. Ancient Astronaut theorists point to Sun Shili, a former Chinese Foreign Ministry official who worked under Mao Tse-tung, who stated in 2011 that the Chinese government knows extraterrestrials visit Earth and that some aliens live among us in human form. Sun describes witnessing a bright UFO in 1972 while working in Beijing's foreign affairs department. Theorists including Giorgio Tsoukalos and David Childress connect modern UFO sightings over Chinese cities like Foshan—where thousands reportedly witnessed a "floating city" phenomenon—to ancient Chinese legends of flying dragons, suggesting a continuous alien presence behind the Great Wall and China's modern "Great Firewall" of information control.
Mainstream researchers note that unusual atmospheric phenomena, including mirages and temperature inversions, can create the illusion of floating cities—a well-documented optical effect called Fata Morgana. China's historical isolationism stems from documented geopolitical and cultural factors, not concealed alien contact, and "flying dragon" mythology fits within the context of symbolism common to many ancient cultures worldwide. Still, the episode offers genuine intrigue for curious viewers: China's vast archaeological record remains less accessible to Western researchers than other regions, Sun Shili's background as a government official adds unusual credibility to his claims, and the country's military encounters with unidentified aerial phenomena—like those reported by other nations—remain largely unexamined in public discourse.
China - Ancient Civilization Sites
China · Chinese
Ancient Aliens proposes that evidence of extraterrestrial visitation exists throughout China's ancient sites, and that aliens may have walked among us in the past and continue to hide among us today.
Dragon Mountains, Heilongjiang Province
China · Modern
Theorists cite the alleged 1994 encounter of tree farmer Meng Zhaoguo near the Dragon Mountains — where he reportedly witnessed a UFO crash and was subsequently abducted by a ten-foot-tall extraterrestrial — as evidence of ongoing alien activity in China. Beijing-based psychologists and police technicians subjected Zhaoguo to hypnosis and a lie detector test and reportedly concluded his account was truthful, though no physical evidence of a crash or craft was recovered.
FAST Radio Telescope, Guizhou Province
China · Modern
Theorists suggest that China's construction of the world's largest radio telescope — explicitly stated by Chinese officials to be aimed at searching for extraterrestrial intelligence — is evidence that the Chinese government already knows aliens exist and is attempting to make or receive further contact, following up on millennia of alleged alien visitation. Mainstream scientists describe FAST as a landmark astronomical instrument intended to survey the Milky Way and distant galaxies for radio signals, advance pulsar research, and broaden the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
Foshan, Guangdong Province
China · Modern
Theorists argue that thousands of witnesses in Foshan saw a floating city in the clouds in October 2015, which they interpret as evidence of an alien mothership or base. Chinese officials dismissed it as an elaborate hoax, while skeptics proposed the optical illusion known as Fata Morgana as an explanation, though theorists dispute this because the apparition appeared too high for such an effect.
Fuxian Lake, Yunnan Province
China · Chinese
Theorists contend that the hand-carved flagstones, roads, buildings, and pyramidal structures discovered on the floor of Fuxian Lake represent the remains of an advanced pre-Ice Age civilization or extraterrestrial underwater base, potentially linked to UFO and USO sightings on the lake. Chinese archaeologists from the Yunnan Provincial Museum conducted sonar and camera surveys in 2001 and concluded the submerged structures represent an advanced ancient civilization, though mainstream scholars have not confirmed an extraterrestrial connection.
Great Wall of China
China · Chinese
Ancient Aliens references the Great Wall as part of China's long history of isolationism and prevention of external information, suggesting potential alien contact may be concealed within China's secretive policies.
Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, Zhejiang Province
China · Modern
Theorists argue that the July 7, 2010 UFO sighting that forced the shutdown of Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport — witnessed by a flight crew and photographed by numerous Hangzhou residents — is evidence of extraterrestrial craft operating in Chinese airspace and of the government's inability to control its own skies. Chinese military authorities stated they were not conducting test flights at the time, and no official explanation for the object was ever publicly confirmed.
Jiangxi Province (floating city sighting)
China · Modern
Theorists argue that a second 'floating city' apparition witnessed by thousands of people in Jiangxi Province just days after the Foshan sighting, and approximately 800 miles away, rules out coincidence and points to a physical extraterrestrial presence in the sky. Skeptics maintain the phenomenon could be an atmospheric optical illusion such as Fata Morgana, occurring independently at different locations under similar atmospheric conditions.
Mount Baigong, Qinghai Province
China · Chinese
Theorists argue that the 200-foot pyramid atop Mount Baigong, with its triangular cave entrances and mysterious metallic pipe-like objects scattered inside, is evidence of an ancient extraterrestrial base, possibly the mythological Mount Kunlun. Chinese scientists who investigated the site in 2003 found the pipes to be largely composed of iron oxide and natural minerals, suggesting a geological rather than artificial origin, though the debate remains open.
Tarim Basin Mummy Sites, Xinjiang
China · Ancient Steppe Cultures
Theorists claim that DNA anomalies in the Tarim Basin mummies — which display Europoid features and carry haplogroups M and K — cannot be matched to any known surviving genetic lineage on Earth, suggesting the possibility of extraterrestrial origin. Mainstream archaeologists and geneticists attribute the mummies to Bronze Age peoples of Western Eurasian origin who migrated into the Tarim Basin, explaining the Europoid features as evidence of ancient trans-Eurasian migration.