Beneath Beijing

During the Cold War, the city of Beijing was home to underground bunkers designed to protect the occupant from nuclear bombs and the fallout from them. After the Cold War, I’m sure most people assumed all those old bunkers were abandoned, but in Beijing, that wasn’t the case. Beneath Beijing over a million people currently live in a vast network of underground bunkers…the same bunkers originally built during the Cold War. Today, the area is known as the Underground City or “Dixia Cheng.”

In 1969, under Chairman Mao Zedong’s orders and amid rising tensions with the Soviet Union, construction began on the Underground City. The goal was to create bomb shelters that could protect Beijing’s residents from potential nuclear attacks. Over the next decade, roughly 300,000 workers built an extensive network of tunnels and bunkers, designed to house the city’s entire population if necessary. At the time, Beijing was home to about six million people. I doubt if the builders had any idea of what the future would hold for the underground city. The strange fact is that today, the Underground City still houses about a million people, mostly low-income workers, students, and migrants who can’t afford the steep rents above ground. Dubbed the “rat tribe,” they inhabit cramped, crowded quarters in tunnels that stretch across a little over 30 square miles.

As you can imaging, life in these bunkers isn’t easy. The units there have the essentials, like electricity, plumbing, and sewage systems. Still, the poor ventilation in the place leaves the air stale and moldy. It’s crowded so, people often share cramped rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms, which can make things tight and unhygienic. Nevertheless, the rent was much cheaper than above ground, so living here remains a practical choice for many, and almost mandatory for others. It’s an odd arrangement, almost like people living in an old coal mine in years gone by, except for the coal dust, of course.

Technically, living in these old bunkers has been illegal since a 2010 ruling by Beijing authorities, citing safety concerns. Still, many people remain in the bunkers, facing an uncertain future as the government has largely turned a blind eye by allowing them to stay despite the risks. This underground city is a hidden yet significant part of Beijing’s urban fabric, reflecting the city’s challenges with housing shortages and economic inequality. In short, these bunkers provide shelter for those unable to find affordable housing above ground, underscoring the complexities of life in one of the world’s most crowded cities. While not ideal, the city’s poor have to have a place to live. It is the sad reality of an uncertain economy.