Houma Aikou Strategic Air-raid Shelter

Houma Aikou Strategic Air-raid Shelter

The Aikou Strategic Air-raid Shelter is located 2 kilometers southwest of Aikou Village, Shangma Subdistrict Office, Houma City. The South Tongpu Railway runs along its western side, and the shelter lies within an eastern mountain recess adjacent to the railway line. A total of seven cave chambers were excavated on the cliffs to the north and south, covering a total area of 18,000 square meters. The shelter is constructed with brick arches, measuring 4 meters in width, about 5 meters in height, 50 meters in depth, with brick arch walls approximately 1 meter thick. It is believed that after selecting the site, workers modified the cliff faces on the northern and southern sides according to the terrain, dug out earth caves, and then reinforced them with brick arches. Due to its remote location far from the village, the shelter has been left unattended for many years, leading to collapses. Natural weathering has also eroded it to varying degrees, and the removal of bricks by people in earlier years has contributed to its deterioration.

According to elderly villagers, this site was built by Yan Xishan’s troops to protect trains transporting strategic supplies from Japanese bombing raids during the War of Resistance against Japan. As no other ruins have been found at the site, its exact purpose still requires further investigation. Its discovery provides physical evidence for studying China’s strategic defense facilities during the War of Resistance Against Japan and the War of Liberation.

Phone: 0357-4223946

Address: Houma City, Linfen, Shanxi Province