Mount Fushan rises over Qingdao, a former German colony on China’s eastern coast. During my stay I heard rumours about tunnels high up in the mountains – so we decided to climb up and have a look.
We were just approaching 'Dragonback Ridge' when we spotted the first turret - a lookout post poking out of the side of the mountain. There was no visible way in, so we had to scramble around the peak for a while before eventually finding a stone archway leading into the darkness inside the mountain.
After a good look around inside this particular tunnel and its various rooms and offshoots, we followed a steep flight of steps that took us much deeper under the ground... coming out on a different part of the mountainside.
A little while later we found another stone archway that led to an ascending staircase. We followed it into one of the mountain peaks, where it took us to a series of look-out points. The view from here was incredible - the three turrets between them covered nearly 360 degrees, with views over the sea, the port, the beaches and the city itself.
Not far away, another tunnel led from the mountain path, down under the ground at a 45-degree angle. This third network was much more heavily secured, with a series of three bulkhead doors at each entrance. Inside we found dozens of rooms and chambers, as well as the remains of brick ovens, metal air vents and even electrical light fittings. This seemed to be the command centre.
When the Germans left Qingdao after 1914, the Japanese took control and made considerable extensions to the bunkers. The tunnels were used by the Chinese during WW2 as an ammunitions dump... or according to some, as a training facility for special forces.
For more photos check out the full report on The Bohemian Blog: German Military Tunnels Beneath the Misty Mountains of China
Cheers!
DR.
We were just approaching 'Dragonback Ridge' when we spotted the first turret - a lookout post poking out of the side of the mountain. There was no visible way in, so we had to scramble around the peak for a while before eventually finding a stone archway leading into the darkness inside the mountain.
After a good look around inside this particular tunnel and its various rooms and offshoots, we followed a steep flight of steps that took us much deeper under the ground... coming out on a different part of the mountainside.
A little while later we found another stone archway that led to an ascending staircase. We followed it into one of the mountain peaks, where it took us to a series of look-out points. The view from here was incredible - the three turrets between them covered nearly 360 degrees, with views over the sea, the port, the beaches and the city itself.
Not far away, another tunnel led from the mountain path, down under the ground at a 45-degree angle. This third network was much more heavily secured, with a series of three bulkhead doors at each entrance. Inside we found dozens of rooms and chambers, as well as the remains of brick ovens, metal air vents and even electrical light fittings. This seemed to be the command centre.
When the Germans left Qingdao after 1914, the Japanese took control and made considerable extensions to the bunkers. The tunnels were used by the Chinese during WW2 as an ammunitions dump... or according to some, as a training facility for special forces.
For more photos check out the full report on The Bohemian Blog: German Military Tunnels Beneath the Misty Mountains of China
Cheers!
DR.
