The Underground Troop Tunnel Scenic Area in Bozhou, Anhui | One of the must-visit attractions in Bozhou
A rare sight of the Underground Great Wall | Cao Cao's Troop Movement Tunnel ||| Bozhou in Anhui province was the administrative center of Yuzhou and the Qiao region of the Pei state during the Han Dynasty. This is the hometown of Cao Cao. He grew up here and took refuge here when Dong Zhuo usurped power. Cao Cao and his son had deep feelings for this place, and after the establishment of the Wei Kingdom, the Qiao region was promoted to Qiaodu, becoming one of the five capitals. To protect his hometown during the chaotic times, Cao Cao constructed a secret military facility beneath the city—the Troop Movement Tunnel.
Today's Troop Movement Tunnel is located underground in the old city area of Bozhou. The brick-built sections of the tunnel are remnants from the Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasties, while the earth and wood structure parts can be traced back to the Cao Wei period. The tunnel extends in all directions from the Qiao Watchtower at its center, with a total length of nearly eight thousand meters. Currently, about seven hundred meters are open for visitors to explore. The tunnels are crisscrossed and vast in scale, and are the earliest and largest underground military tunnels discovered to date, earning them the nickname 'Underground Great Wall'.
Qiao Watchtower was rebuilt based on historical records of the military watchtower that Cao Cao built in his hometown, and Cao Zhi once composed 'Three Variations on the Yang Pass Theme' for this tower. This ancient-style building has four stories and stands out among the old city buildings. Before entering the underground tunnels, visitors can choose to climb the tower for a panoramic view of the surrounding ancient city.
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Below the tower, on the first underground level, is a newly built Jian'an Literature Museum, which provides detailed introductions to Cao Cao, Cao Pi, Cao Zhi, and the Seven Scholars of Jian'an, who represented Jian'an literature. They inherited the music bureau tradition from the Han Dynasty and made significant innovations, perfecting the seven-character and five-character poetry forms. They also expressed the sorrow and generosity of the common people, earning the praise of 'Jian'an Spirit' from later generations. Visitors can also appreciate the profound hometown sentiment towards Qiao County (Bozhou) expressed in the literary works of the father and sons.
👍 Highly Recommended:
Going down another level, visitors enter the actual range of the tunnels. The spacious area suddenly becomes narrow, and the real chill of the underground air rushes up, making taller individuals unable to stand upright, allowing visitors to genuinely experience the oppressive feeling of ancient secret passages. Although only a few hundred meters of the tunnel are open, the cramped atmosphere has already made some people feel slightly uncomfortable.
The main tunnel is a parallel double tunnel, with holes between the two for communication. There are also intersecting side tunnels, single-lane paths, and double-decker passages, as complex as a city's overpass. The general depth here is 2-3 meters, with the deepest point reaching 7 meters, and the bottom surface undulates. Inside the tunnel, there are many mechanisms, with ventilation holes at the top leading to the surface, niches in the walls for oil lamps, and military facilities such as trip boards and traps.