China’s 816 Nuclear Military Plant Now Open to Visitors

Formerly top secret, visitors can now explore a Chinese nuclear bunker that constitutes the world’s largest man-made cave at 1 million square feet.

The 816 Nuclear Military Plant in China’s Chongquing municipality was designed to manufacture plutonium in the 1960s, but it went offline in 1984. Now, tourists can explore its vast caves, outfitted with modern light displays that project images of atomic weapons and plutonium processing onto overhead movie screens. Visitors can also pass a life-size replica of China’s first atomic bomb, detonated during a nuclear test in 1964.

Government figures show the plant was once home to more than 60,000 soldiers, who worked here for 17 years until it was shut down in 1984. The space was not decommissioned until 2002, and it opened only briefly to the public in 2010 before being closed up again.

Visiting the plant involves a required tour ticket purchase. By following a guide familiar with the seemingly endless and circuitous cavern, visitors can avoid getting lost in the maze-like environment. The tours take about three hours.

The space runs for more than 12 miles, with 18 main caves and more than 130 roads and tunnels still accessible to vehicles.