Ruins and Museum of the Japanese Invaders' Tiger Head Underground Military Fortress

Ruins and Museum of the Japanese Invaders' Tiger Head Underground Military Fortress

The Ruins and Museum of the Japanese Invaders' Tiger Head Underground Military Fortress is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Japanese Invaders' Tiger Head Underground Military Fortress was built between 1934 and 1939 by the Kwantung Army of Japan using over 100,000 Chinese laborers and prisoners of war. It became one of the 17 secret fortifications constructed by Japan along the Sino-Soviet and Sino-Mongolian borders. The fortress spans seven mountain ranges in the northwest of Hutou Town, Hulin City, including Menghushan (East Menghushan, Central Menghushan, and West Menghushan), Hubeishan, Hudongshan, Huxishan, and Huxiaoshan. Its front line stretches over 10 kilometers, extending 40–45 kilometers deep, with the central area alone covering more than 100 square kilometers. The entire fortress was constructed from reinforced concrete, featuring an enormous scale, complex structure, and comprehensive facilities. Each underground position included a command post, rest area, ammunition depot, storage room, power station, medical room, kitchen, and toilet. The Japanese military boasted that it was the “Maginot Line of the East.” To commemorate this painful history and preserve evidence of Japanese imperialist aggression, the national, provincial, and municipal governments invested over 10 million yuan to excavate and clear the main section of the Tiger Head Underground Military Fortress—the Menghushan segment. A total of 3,800 meters of underground tunnels have been cleared, with over 1,200 meters reinforced and restored. Above the ruins, the Museum of the Japanese Invaders' Tiger Head Fortress was built and opened on May 18, 2009. The museum features a unique design, exquisite construction, and ingenious layout. Covering an area of 45,000 square meters, it has a building area of over 7,000 square meters and a landscaped garden area of more than 4,000 square meters. The museum houses a collection of over 11,000 cultural relics and historical materials. The indoor exhibition consists of 28 display halls across 9 sections, showcasing a large number of unearthed artifacts and historical remains, including 1,208 exhibit photos and 3,214 physical objects.

Hutou Town: Located 65 kilometers east of Hulin City, it connects westward to Qingfeng Farm and eastward to Zhenbaodao Township, facing Russia’s Imeni Town across the river. The town covers a total area of 960.17 square kilometers, with a population of 13,000. It administers 10 administrative villages and hosts four municipal farms: Yueya Breeding Farm, Dairy Farm, Forest Farm, and Fishery Farm. In 1998, it was officially approved as a provincial-level tourism economic and trade development zone. On March 7, 1984, the district was abolished and the town was established as Hutou Town, governing the 10 administrative villages. In January 1996, the former Xinxing Township was merged into Hutou, increasing the number of administrative villages to 17. … More details about Hutou Town++