Remains of the Japanese Invaders' Arxan Fortress

Remains of the Japanese Invaders' Arxan Fortress

The remains of the Japanese Invaders' Arxan Fortress are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The remains of the Japanese Invaders' Arxan Fortress were built between 1935 and 1945 and are located in Arxan City, Xing'an League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

They consist of the Huapaitai Position, Wuchagou Airport, Nanshan Tunnel, bunkers, and the Arxan Railway Station.

Huapaitai Position: located in the upper valley of the Arshan River, it comprises the Japanese military headquarters, barracks, bunkers, pillboxes, observation posts, garages, power rooms, military dog kennels, wells, metal workshops, laborer sheds, and anti-tank ditches. Among these, the Japanese military headquarters is relatively well-preserved. It is tunnel-shaped, running from southeast to northwest, with a length of 170 meters and 12 rooms inside.

The ruins of the Wuchagou Puppet-Manchukuo Airport are located at the foot of the mountain 2 kilometers southeast of Wuchagou Town, Arxan City, Xing'an League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, built on the alluvial plain of the Tao'er River. It consists of a runway, aircraft hangars, ammunition depots, and ground shelters, all in semi-circular concrete structures. There are two runways, 18 aircraft hangars and ammunition depots (grouped into nine sets with one hangar paired with one depot, arranged in an S-shape), and one ground shelter.

On the way from Ulanhot City to Arxan City, you can see the remnants of the Wuchagou Puppet-Manchukuo aircraft bunkers. These semi-circular, dome-like structures are the remains of the wartime airfield hangars used by the Japanese invaders in China. Within Xing'an League, there are four such Japanese airfield hangars: Wuchagou Airport, Haoren Airport, Badarengui Airport, and Halahi Airport. The Wuchagou Puppet-Manchukuo Airport ruins are located at the foot of the mountain 2 kilometers southeast of Wuchagou. After 1935, the Japanese built two wartime airfields and nine hangars in Wuchagou. Construction of the hangars began in 1940. These dome-shaped buildings are the former hangars—nine in total, arranged in an "S" shape, with lateral ammunition transport openings. Each hangar has a small adjacent ammunition depot, accessible from both front and back for easier transport. A command post was also built here. During construction, earth was first piled into arched mounds as per design, then reinforced with steel bars, poured with concrete, and after solidification, the earth was removed, burying the opposite ammunition depots. Most of these structures remain largely intact today, still solid and smooth. They serve as ironclad evidence of Japan’s invasion of China and are a must-see on any trip to Arxan.     

Nanshan Tunnel and Bunkers: located in Nanshan, Bailang Town, Arxan City, they consist of a tunnel and bunkers. There is one tunnel, which runs through Nanshan Mountain, stretching 3,218.5 meters in length. The tunnel is fully equipped with refuge niches, drainage ditches, seepage wells, and signaling facilities. There are two bunkers, one at the eastern entrance and one at the western entrance of the Nanshan Tunnel. These concrete bunkers have six levels—two underground and four above ground—with a total floor area of 600 square meters.

Arxan Railway Station: located in Arxan City, it faces west and is arranged north-south. With a building area of 671.49 square meters, it features a traditional hip-and-gable roof structure made of brick, stone, and tile. It has three floors and six roof sections. The first-floor walls are built with stone, the middle section with brick, doors and windows are wooden, the roof is tiled, and the exterior walls feature painted designs.

On May 28, 1996, it was designated as a Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region by the People's Government of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

In May 2013, the remains of the Japanese Invaders' Arxan Fortress were listed as part of the seventh group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units