Zhangjiakou Underground Great Wall

Zhangjiakou Underground Great Wall

The Zhangjiakou Underground Great Wall is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.

Within Zhangjiakou City, there are 1,476 kilometers of the Great Wall built during the Warring States, Qin, Han, Northern Wei, Northern Qi, Tang, Jin, and Ming dynasties, making it the municipality with the most well-preserved sections of the Great Wall in China, often referred to as the "Museum of the Great Wall." Even more precious is that in the northern part of Zhangjiakou’s urban area, there is also an underground Great Wall running parallel in direction to the Ming Dynasty Great Wall, forming a beautiful scenic highlight of the mountain city beyond the Great Wall.

The Underground Great Wall refers to a civil air defense project located at the northern end of Zhangjiakou’s urban area, stretching over 10 kilometers from Dajingmen in the east to Wanquan County in the west, running in the same direction as the Ming Dynasty Great Wall on Xitaiping Mountain. This project was constructed in the 1970s under the slogan “Dig deep tunnels, store ample grain, and never seek hegemony.” Like the above-ground Great Wall, it is also a military defensive structure. Civil air defense projects are part of national defense infrastructure, and developing national defense tourism based on these facilities presents a novel concept. It not only adds new appeal to Zhangjiakou’s tourism industry but also helps preserve these civil air defense structures.

The Underground Great Wall consists of mountain tunnel works, among which the following have significant development and utilization value:

Dajingmen Cinema: Located beneath the mountain root west of the memorial archway on Mingde North Street, nearly 30 meters below street level, the site covers a total area of 1,968.8 square meters, with the main structure being 82 meters long and 14 meters wide. Parts of the project were reinforced using shotcrete, while other sections remain in their natural tunnel state. It is classified as a third-level civil air defense facility. To the northwest, it connects to Exit 12 on the north side of Dajingmen at Xitaiping Mountain; to the south, it leads to the city’s First Command Post; and to the west, it connects to Cuiping Temple. It holds high potential for development and utilization.

Yuanbaoshan Grain Depot: Situated in Ciergou at Yuanbaoshan outside Dajingmen, this facility has a construction area of 5,150 square meters and three entrances/exits. It served as a wartime grain and oil reserve depot with a capacity of 7.5 million kilograms, and includes an internal diesel generator set and ventilation system. The project is rated as third-level and was recognized by the provincial civil air defense authority as the best of its kind in North China. It is currently ready for development and use.

Xitaiping Mountain Evacuation Trunk Tunnel Project: Running through the main ridge of Xitaiping Mountain, it stretches from Chaoyang Cave in the east to Cuiping Temple in the west, covering a total length of 10,814 meters with a construction area of 30,659 square meters and usable area of 22,840 square meters. There are 12 entrances/exits, with tunnel widths of 2 meters and heights of 2.5 meters, all lined in brick-concrete composite structures. The project is rated third-level. Notably, between Exits 7 and 8 at Cuiping Temple, much of the interior is finished with shotcrete, preserving the original texture of the mountain caverns, making it ideal for unique tourism and sightseeing experiences.

The Underground Great Wall is divided into a sightseeing zone, leisure zone, and adventure zone: The sightseeing zone focuses on introducing the city’s strategic military position, along with major historical events such as the Dajingmen Campaign, Xinzhenbao Campaign, and the 802 Military Exercise. It also provides comprehensive information about other tourist attractions in the city.

Transportation Guide

Location: Yongfengbao Village, Qiaoxi District, Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province

Getting There: In Zhangjiakou City, take Bus No. 13 and get off at Yongfengbao East Station, then walk north to reach the site.