Top 5 Abandoned Military Places in China (Best Urbex Spots)

In this article, discover five essential locations selected from our Urbex China Map, which features over 500 abandoned places across China, carefully documented for unique and immersive explorations.

Abandoned military urbex in China is in a category of its own. The Cold War, the Sino-Soviet split, and decades of Third Front Construction produced a network of secret underground facilities, island fortifications, and decommissioned bases that stretch across the entire country. Many remain unknown to international explorers — hidden beneath mountains, buried on remote islands, or decaying in plain sight on the outskirts of major cities.

Why China Is One of the Best Destinations for Military Urbex

China's military heritage spans three distinct eras: the Japanese occupation and WWII fortifications, the Maoist Cold War bunker programme triggered by fear of Soviet nuclear strikes, and the post-1980s decommissioning of coastal and border defence installations. Each left behind a different type of abandoned structure — and together they make China one of the richest destinations for military urbex on earth.

📍 All locations below are referenced on our Urbex China Map — GPS coordinates, access notes, condition ratings, and explorer reports included.

1. Project 816 – The World's Largest Underground Nuclear Complex, Chongqing (Known Location)

The most extraordinary abandoned military site in China. Project 816 is the world's largest man-made underground complex — 104,000 m² of tunnels and chambers carved into Jinzi Mountain by 60,000 workers over 17 years in total secrecy. Authorized by Zhou Enlai in 1966 during the Sino-Soviet split, construction was halted in 1984 at 85% completion. The nearby town of Baitao was erased from Chinese national maps for 20 years.

👉 Reactor halls the size of football fields, Cold War control rooms with original equipment, and 20 km of tunnels disappearing into the mountain.

👉 Story: Built as China's first independent nuclear reactor. Declassified in 2002 and opened to visitors in 2010. One of the only publicly accessible sites of its kind in the world.

🔗 More on Project 816: Atlas Obscura – 816 Underground Nuclear Plant

2. Project 131 – Mao's Secret Underground Military HQ, Hubei (Known Location)

One of the most secretive Cold War military projects in Chinese history. Project 131 was commissioned on January 31, 1969 — its codename derived from that date — as the underground command headquarters for the People's Liberation Army in the event of nuclear war with the Soviet Union. Carved into a hill in Hubei Province, the complex included offices designated for Mao Zedong and Lin Biao, a military council room, communications centre, and soldiers' barracks. Construction was abruptly halted in 1971 when Lin Biao died in a reported coup attempt. Neither Mao nor Lin Biao ever set foot inside.

👉 Bare tunnel corridors with blast doors still intact, a room labelled Mao's office with period furniture, and the eerie silence of a command centre that was never used.

👉 Story: Built at a cost of 130 million yuan during Sino-Soviet tensions, Project 131 was never completed and never used. Turned over to civilian authorities in 1981, it now operates as a tourist site near Xianning, Hubei.

🔗 More on Project 131: Wikipedia – Underground Project 131

3. The Abandoned Coastal Fortification – Zhoushan Archipelago (Exclusive on our Map)

A decommissioned military fortification on one of the islands of the Zhoushan Archipelago near Shanghai, built during the Cold War to defend China's eastern coastline.

👉 Concrete gun emplacements open to the sea wind, underground tunnel networks with doors still ajar, and views across the East China Sea from positions that once faced a very different threat.

👉 Story: Built as part of China's coastal defence network during the Cold War and the Taiwan Strait tensions of the 1950s-60s. Decommissioned as the strategic threat receded and left to the salt wind and the sea.

📍 Exact location available on our Urbex China Map.

4. The Abandoned Military Airfield – Northern China (Exclusive on our Map)

A former People's Liberation Army Air Force base in northern China, decommissioned after the end of the Cold War and left largely intact.

👉 Cracked runway stretching into the steppe, abandoned hangars with rusting fixtures, and control tower windows looking out over a flight line that will never move again.

👉 Story: Dozens of PLAAF bases across northern China were quietly decommissioned after the 1990s as the military modernised and consolidated. Many sit intact on remote plains, unknown to the international urbex community.

📍 Exact location available on our Urbex China Map.

5. The Abandoned Border Defence Post – Southwest China (Exclusive on our Map)

A forgotten military outpost on China's southwestern border, abandoned after the normalisation of relations with neighbouring countries in the 1990s.

👉 Watchtowers reclaimed by jungle, barracks with personal effects still inside, and a perimeter fence slowly consumed by the subtropical forest that surrounds it.

👉 Story: Southwest China's border regions saw significant military activity during the Sino-Vietnamese War of 1979 and its aftermath. Several outposts were quietly decommissioned as diplomatic relations stabilised over the following decades.

📍 Exact location available on our Urbex China Map.

Urbex China – Safety & Legal Reminder

Military sites carry additional risks beyond standard urbex. Trespassing on active or former military property is illegal in China and penalties are significantly higher than for civilian sites. Some locations may also contain unexploded ordnance, unstable structures, or restricted zones with active surveillance. Always:

• Research each site thoroughly before visiting
• Explore with at least one other person
• Wear protective gear — mask, gloves, and sturdy boots
• Never force access or remove any object
• Respect the spaces and leave no trace

The urbex code applies everywhere: "Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints."

❓ FAQ – Military Urbex China

Is military urbex legal in China?
Entering former military property without permission is trespassing in China, and penalties around military sites are significantly stricter than for civilian locations. Project 816 and Project 131 are officially open to tourists — always use the official entry points and respect restricted zones.

What is the best known abandoned military site in China?
Project 816 in Chongqing is the most famous — the world's largest man-made underground complex, built as a nuclear weapons facility during the Cold War. It is open to the public and accessible from central Chongqing in under two hours.

Are there abandoned military sites accessible without a tour?
Some coastal fortifications and decommissioned border posts can be approached externally without restriction. However, entering any structure requires careful research of local access rules. Our Urbex China Map includes access ratings for every location.

🎯 Conclusion

China's abandoned military landscape is one of the least explored and most extraordinary in the world — from the world's largest underground nuclear complex to forgotten coastal fortifications and Cold War command bunkers that were never used. Each site is a direct trace of the geopolitical fears and ambitions that shaped modern China.

Thanks to our Urbex China Map, you get access to over 500 unique locations for a safe and immersive exploration experience — with GPS coordinates, access ratings, photos, and explorer reports for every spot.

🗺️ Explore the full Urbex China Map →