Zhangfang Ancient Battle Tunnel

Zhangfang Ancient Battle Tunnel is one of Beijing’s heritage conservation sites. It is located at Zhangfang Town in Fangshan District which is about 75 kilometers from downtown Beijing. According to historical records, the ancient battle tunnel was built during the Song and Liao Dynasty. Even after all this time, the ancient battle tunnel remains in perfect condition today. The ancient battle tunnel was built along the south slope of Taihang Mountain and not far from Juma River in the south. The surrounding area of the tunnel is blessed with picturesque scenery as well as many other historical sites in its vicinity. Thus, it is always an interesting destination for tourists from all over the world.

Zhangfang Ancient Battle Tunnel is merely four meters underground. The whole tunnel was built with Chinese bricks under construction methods which are similar to those of the Song and Liao Dynasty. There are armories, army rooms, commanding rooms as well as barracks. According to historians, Zhangfang Ancient Battle Tunnel is the only military-used ancient tunnel to be found in Beijing. The discovery of this ancient battle tunnel has brought new information to the research of ancient warfare and political affairs as well as the field of ancient architecture. There are many tunnels that are interconnected with each other and form a huge underground network that links four city gates as well as some ancient villages nearby.

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Like most of the ancient Chinese military tunnels, Zhangfang Ancient Battle Tunnel allowed warriors to attack and defend themselves with as much freedom as possible. In this sense it served as a secret weapon for almost 400 years until the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Now the tunnel is an ideal place to visit and learn about Beijing's ancient military history. Archaeologists speculate that this battle tunnel was designed and built by General Yang Liulang, a famous general of the Song Dynasty. His entire family remains highly respected in China for the great sacrifice they made for the empire. After all the men of the family fought to their death in battle, their beautiful and valiant widows picked up the weapons and followed, eventually falling to the very same fate. The Yang family stands for the most valued virtue of the traditional Chinese people - loyalty to the empire.