You might have heard of a book called The Travels of Marco Polo, 700 years ago.

It was a big bestseller across Europe.

But Marco's book wasn't exactly truthful in a lot of respects.

He didn't end up the ruler of the city of Yangzhou, and he definitely didn't introduce

catapults into China either.

In one chapter, Marco even talks about spirits haunting the Gobi Desert.

This is what he says.

When travelers are on the move by night and one of them chances to lag behind or to fall

asleep, he will hear spirits talking and will suppose them to be his comrades.

Even in the daytime one hears those spirits talking and sometimes you shall hear the sound

of a variety of musical instruments.

People's spirits haunting the desert, it sounds crazy, especially from the guy who saw

a rhino and thought it was a unicorn.

But Marco Polo was right about one thing.

That sound that he heard, it wasn't created by anything living.

I'm Annie Ubank, and this is Atlas Obscura, a celebration of the world's strange, incredible

and wondrous places.

Today, an audio postcard from the Desert of Badanjuran, home of the booming dudes.

You're about to hear a rare sound today, one that not too many people have gotten to

experience.

We're going to have a little fun with that sound.

After this.

...