Underground Great Wall of China, Underground military installation in China
The Underground Great Wall of China is a network of deep tunnels running through mountain ranges across China, built to move and protect military equipment out of sight. The tunnels are wide enough for trucks and rail systems to carry missiles and supplies, and some sections serve as command centers or storage areas.
The roots of underground defense in China go back to the Northern Song Dynasty, when tunnels were dug to move troops unseen across open northern plains that had no natural barriers. The modern version of this network began in 1985 and took roughly a decade to complete its first sections.
The Chinese government officially confirmed the existence of this network in 2006, after decades of secrecy. Chinese state television later brought journalists inside parts of the tunnels, offering a rare public glimpse into a system that had long been hidden from view.
This network is an active military installation and is not open to the public in any form. Those interested in the topic can find related exhibits and documentation at military history museums in China, which sometimes display models or panels about underground defense systems.
In 1948, a village in Hebei was hit by a fast flood that suddenly receded without explanation. Villagers later discovered that an underground passage had diverted the water, revealing just how widespread these hidden tunnels already were at that time.
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