地下長城 / 地下长城

Dìxià Chángchéng

Useful Information

Location:	Yongqing County, Xiong County, Bazhou City, Langfang City, Hebei Province. (38.9890061, 116.1084775)
Open:	All year daily 8-18. [2025]
Fee:	Adults CNY 3. [2025]
Classification:	Dìxià Chángchéng
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Dìxià Chángchéng, Yongqing County, Xiong County, Bazhou City, Langfang City, Hebei Province, Tel: +86-.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1948	rediscovered during a flood, when the water drained through the tunnels.
1964	other part rediscovered when a well was dug.
1988	archaeological excavations in the tunnels.
15-JUL-1993	declared a key cultural relics protection unit in Hebei Province by the Hebei Provincial People’s Government.
25-MAY-2006	listed as national protected cultural relic.

Description

The 地下長城 aka 地下长城 (Dìxià Chángchéng, Underground Great Wall) is a huge artificial tunnel system which was created during the Song Dynasty (960-1127) under General Yang Ye to hide and store troops and supplies. At this time the Song and Liao states were at war. Unlike the normal Great Wall it was forgotten over time and not accessible any more. It was rediscovered in 1948, when a flood vanished underground. Later research revealed the tunnel system, which drained the flood. But China had other problems and the discovery was not researched. Finally, the archaeological excavation started in 1988. Again it took decades, and finally in 2008 it was listed as monument of the People’s Republic of China (6-14) with the name 边关地道遗址 (Bianguan didao yizhi, Frontier Tunnel Ruins). It became also known as 宋辽边关地道遗址 (Song-Liao Border Tunnel Ruins) of shorter 边关地道遗址 (Border tunnel ruins).

The site which is open to the public are actually two different small sections of the tunnels. One is located in Qigang Village, Shuangtang Township, Xiong County. It was discovered in 1964 when a well was dug. The other is located south of Xingcun Village, Xiaobucun Township, Xiong County. Both are only tiny parts of the underground structure. The size of more than 5,000 km is quite impressive. However, not all tunnels are connected, actually they stretch approximately 65 kilometers east to west and 25 kilometers north to south. The structure is complex, whith hidden troop caves, meeting halls, and maze-like passages. The ceiling is about 4 meters below the ground, and the interior varies in height and width, containing areas for placing lamps, storing items, and ventilation holes. The passages have obvious military purposes, which is proven by the existence of trapdoors and lookout tunnels.