Luowan Underground Power Plant

Luowan Underground Power Plant

Luowan Underground Power Plant

Luowan Underground Power Plant is located within the provincial enterprise Luowan Power Plant, 25 kilometers from the county seat, and is a national industrial tourism demonstration site. Luowan Underground Power Plant is one of only two underground power plants in China, and it is a historical product of the highest directives in the “-”s of the last century, such as “Prepare for war, prepare for famine — for the people” and “Dig deep tunnels, store vast amounts of grain, and never seek hegemony.” Back then, over ten thousand workers secretly entered this remote mountainous forest to excavate this miraculous cave, channeling water from a reservoir more than ten miles away to generate electricity. After twelve years of arduous construction, it was finally completed. There is no visible reservoir, no apparent power plant buildings, and no sound of machinery. In the past, the site was heavily guarded and kept strictly confidential to the outside world. With the changes of the times, it has gradually opened to the public, attracting a continuous stream of visitors eager to explore its secrets.

At most hydropower stations, you can see the reservoir, dam, power plant buildings, and generating units. But here, you see none of those. Where does the water come from? Where does the electricity come out? Where are the equipment and personnel? A series of mysteries await your discovery. This power station is a trans-basin diversion-type hydropower station. It diverts water from the northern branch of the Liao River, forming a dam and reservoir, and channels the water through a diversion tunnel about 6 kilometers long to the southern branch of the Liao River. Electricity is generated by utilizing the significant elevation difference between the northern and southern branches. The generating units are deeply “buried” underground, generating power inside the cave. The distance from the cave entrance to the underground power plant building is 375 meters. The plant has three levels — upper, middle, and lower — covering an area of over 6,000 square meters.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units