In the late 1960s as Sino-Soviet relations hit an all time low and nuclear war looked imminent the people of Beijing, under the direction of their great Chairman, started burrowing beneath the streets.

Soldiers and citizens alike spent the best part of a decade digging out an estimated 85km² of tunnels and vaults beneath the ancient city. Wide tunnels with space for two cars to pass were dug between the most important locations in town, bomb shelters were constructed with space for around 40% of the city’s population, and hospitals, armouries and even cinemas were setup. No sooner had this been done than the Soviets trundled into Afghanistan and forgot all about China so the tunnels fell into disuse.

In the decades that followed the underground city was largely forgotten, drifting into the realms of urban legend, but parts of it still turned up as metro stations and underground car parks. The stories continued to draw the curious until it became necessary for the city officials to start blocking up the remaining entrances that dotted the city. Finally in late 2000 a small section was opened up to the public as the Beijing Underground City (daily 08.30am-6pm, ¥20).

A cammo-clad guide leads you down a long stairway some 8m underground to a small chamber where you are briefly introduced to the history of the underground city. Then you are guided along a section of the tunnels decorated with propaganda posters and cammo-clad mannequins, passed sealed doorways marked Armoury, Hospital, Cinema etc, and unlit corridors marked to Palace Museum, to Tiantin Park, etc. You finally come to a quilt shop and the stairs back to the surface.

Hidden away down a forgotten backstreet and unknown even to many locals this curious memorial can be difficult to find and is not exactly a fulfilling experience, but it is an entertaining enough for those with plenty of time on their hands and an interest in Cold War paranoia.