八八坑道

Tunnel 88 - Baba Tunnel

Useful Information

Location:	No. 208, Fuxing Vil., Nangan Township, Lienchiang County, Taiwan (R.O.C.). (26.160305, 119.953247)
Open:	All year daily 8:40-11:30, 13:40-17. [2022]
Fee:	free. [2022]
Classification:	Cellar Secret Bunker
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:	L=264 m, T=16-19 °C.
Guided tours:
Photography:	self guided
Accessibility:	yes
Bibliography:
Address:	Tunnel 88, No. 208, Fuxing Vil., Nangan Township, Lienchiang County, Taiwan (R.O.C.), Tel: +886-836-22345.
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

1958	Second Taiwan Strait Crisis with the People's Liberation Army.
1964-1974	tunnel built and enlarged by the Republic of China Armed Forces.
?	used by Chunghwa Telecom.
07-NOV-1992	abolition of Battle Field Administration.
1992	handed over to Matsu Distillery.

Description

八八坑道 (Bābā Kēngdào, Tunnel 88 or 88 Tunnel) is also called Baba Tunnel which is an incomplete translation, baba is 88. It is one of numerous underground structures which were built by the Republik of China as a defence from the Peoples Republic of China. However, in a period decreasing aggression from mainland China numerous military structures were abandoned and subsequently transformed into tourist sites. But this tunnel, which was dug through massive granite, is said to be older. There are legends that the tunnel was used by the locals to hide when pirates were on the island. But it is extremely difficult to build a tunnel through granite and is not only expensive but also requires modern machinery and many years of work.

The tunnel is actually a military structure which was built after by the ROC as part of the island defences It was dug and enlarged by the Republic of China Armed Forces between 1964 and 1974, and named Tunnel 88 to commemorate the 88th birthday of Chiang Kai-shek in 1975. In the aftermath of the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis with the People's Liberation Army in 1958 they planned to accommodate tanks, but it seems it was only shortly or never used for this purpose. It also connected Nangan military airport with Lianjiang. However, it was actually used by Chunghwa Telecom for communication equipment. After the abolition of Battle Field Administration on 07-NOV-1992 it was abandoned and handed over to Matsu Distillery in the same year.

The tunnel is used by the local Matsu Distillery to store and mature liquor, and has now become a tourist site as a wine cellar. The tunnel has a constant temperature of 16-19 °C. The distillerie’s Kaoliang liquor or sorghum liquor, which is a specialty of Matsu, was named after the tunnel. The liquor is stored in ceramic jugs which are sealed with wax and are stapled along the wall. The air of the tunnel today smells like alcohol and some visitors say they became a little tipsy from the alcohol in the air. We guess that's not possible and actually a psychosomatic effect.

Nearby is the 馬祖酒廠展示館 (Matsu Distillery Exhibition Hall), if you visit the tunnel a tour of the distillery is a good combination.