Underground City (Beijing)

Coordinates: 39°54′00″N 116°24′22″E / 39.899885°N 116.406122°E / 39.899885; 116.406122
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Entrance of the Underground City at Xidamochang Jie

The Underground City (

nuclear war with the Soviet Union, as Sino-Soviet relations worsened[1][2] and was officially reopened in 2000.[3] Visitors were allowed to tour portions of the complex,[3] which has been described as "dark, damp, and genuinely eerie".[4] Underground City has been closed for renovation since at least February 2008.[1]

Location

The tunnels of the Underground City run beneath Beijing's city center, covering an area of 85 square kilometres (33 sq mi) 8 to 18 metres (26–59 ft) under the surface.

Chongwen District, and 18 Dashilan Jie in Qianmen.[1]

History

At the height of

Heilongjiang River. [2] The Underground City was designed to withstand nuclear, biochemical and conventional attacks.[1] The complex would protect Beijing's population, and allow government officials to evacuate in the event of an attack on the city.[6] The government claimed that the tunnels could accommodate all of Beijing's six million inhabitants upon its completion.[4]

The complex was equipped with facilities such as

fallouts.[2][7]

There is no official disclosure about the actual extent of the complex,

Chongwen district", in addition to the Western Hills.[2] It is also rumoured that every residence once had a secret trapdoor nearby leading to the tunnels.[2] In the event of a nuclear attack, the plan was to move half of Beijing's population underground and the other half to the Western Hills.[1]

The tunnels were built by more than 300,000 local citizens, including school students, on volunteer duties. Some portions were even dug without the help of any heavy machinery.[2] Centuries-old city walls, towers and gates, including the old city gates of Xizhimen, Fuchengmen, and Chongwenmen were destroyed to supply construction materials for the complex.[2]

Notice by the side of the Underground City entrance at Xidamochang Jie explaining that the complex is closed for renovations following a safety inspection

Since the complex's completion, it has been utilized by locals in various ways as the tunnels remain cool in summer and warm in winter.

hotels, while others were transformed into shopping and business centers, or even theaters.[2]

While the complex has never been used for its intended purpose, it has never been fully abandoned either. Local authorities still perform water leakage checks and pest control in the tunnels on a regular basis.[2]

As a tourist attraction

The complex was officially opened in 2000, but has been closed for renovation since at least February 2008.[1] While it was open, visitors were allowed to tour portions of the complex; the Underground City was popular with foreign tourists but remained virtually forgotten by local citizens. Though there are many other entrances, foreign visitors entered approved sections accessed via a small shop front in Qianmen, south of Tiananmen Square, at 62 West Damochang Street. Tour groups could enter free of charge and without prior permission while individual tourists not part of a group were charged 20 yuan (US$2.40) each.[2]

The official tour took visitors only on a small circular stretch of the Underground City.

water purifiers could be seen in areas not open to tourists.[1] Visitors on the official tour would also pass by a functioning silk factory in one of the underground staff meeting rooms of the complex, and be given a demonstration of the process of obtaining silk from silkworm cocoons. They had a chance to buy souvenirs at a tourists' shop operated by the state-owned Qianmen Arts and Crafts Center and the China Kai Tian Silk Company.[6]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Jiang, Steven. "Beijing Journal: An underground 'parallel universe' Archived 2020-12-04 at the Wayback Machine". Cable News Network (2008-02-01). Retrieved on 2008-07-14.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Wang, Zhiyong. "Beijing's Underground City Archived 2020-12-04 at the Wayback Machine". China Internet Information Center (2005-04-15). Retrieved on 2008-07-14.
  3. ^ a b "Underground City Archived 2008-04-09 at the Wayback Machine". Beijing China Tourist Information and Travel Guide. Retrieved on 2008-07-14.
  4. ^ a b c "Dixia Cheng Archived 2023-02-06 at the Wayback Machine". The New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-07-14.The Chinese government also considered it as a possible refuge in case of a war with the west, including America over the Taiwanese question.
  5. ^ a b "Beijing Underground City Archived 2008-06-12 at the Wayback Machine". Lonely Planet Publications. Retrieved on 2008-07-16.
  6. ^ a b c d Hultengren, Irving A. "Beijing Underground City Archived 2020-12-04 at the Wayback Machine". Irving A. Hultegren Home Page 2008 (2008-05-02). Retrieved on 2008-07-17.
  7. ^ a b "Going underground Archived 2020-12-04 at the Wayback Machine". ChinaDaily (2005-12-30). Retrieved on 2008-07-17.

Further reading

  • "Chairman Mao's Underground City". Vice. June 16, 2012. Retrieved September 22, 2017.

39°54′00″N 116°24′22″E / 39.899885°N 116.406122°E / 39.899885; 116.406122

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