Nanjian—village underground lights

The village of Nanjian, which is located in the southwest of China, known as the Invisible Fire Village. The air is so saturated with methane gas that a single spark can light a fire. The villagers learned to live with it and even use methane for their own purposes, but they do it very carefully so as not to cause an explosion.





Methane in the air comes from under the ground – it's seeping from the cracks. The gas concentration is so high that no one in the village could not light a match, smoke or use electrical equipment. People need to be careful because their metal tools can emit sparks, especially if hit on a rock.





The gas was discovered about a year ago when 83-year-old su Geng complained to the authorities on the strange smell in her basement. “After doing the test I was told that the methane seeping out of the ground,” she said. “The workers set fire to the air, to prove this fact”.





The natural gas field is located near the village. Therefore, the gas seeping in the village. This seems to be true, but locals have their own version. They blame evil spirits, and invite priests to get rid of the fire. Of course, it doesn't work. But people continue to believe in otherworldly forces, despite the scientific evidence of this phenomenon. Some even believe that in one terrible day, the fire will cover the entire area. But there are those who use this natural feature to their advantage, and held in your home heating.

Such areas exist in many places in the world. For example, the slope on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, where fires burned for thousands of years – thanks to methane.

Source: mirfactov.com/