Most tunnels are built using specialised equipment and cutting edge technology, that have helped revolutionise the field of civil engineering. Just think of Norway’s Rogfast tunnel, which at 392 metres below sea level will be the longest and deepest underwater one in the world.
Or, for that matter, Denmark’s 11-mile Fehmarnbelt connecting the Scandinavian country with its German neighbour. Yet there is one tunnel in China that is no less remarkable than many of its modern equivalents. The Guoliang Tunnel was built in the 1970s by local villagers determined to improve accessibility to their rural settlement.
Before its construction, the only access to Guoliang Village, perched atop a small mountain, was via a crude and dangerous stone path.
Under the leadership of a man called Shen Mingxin, 13 villagers clubbed together in 1972 and raised funds for the construction by selling goats and crops.
With the money collected, they bought some hand tools and set about achieving their goal.
It took them five years to chisel and carve a 1,200-metre-long tunnel into the treacherous cliffside.
Not one piece of electric equipment or large machinery was used in the tunnel’s construction.
Unfortunately one of the men passed away during the building process, but work on it continued none-the-less.
Due to its location and unusual construction, Guoliang Tunnel is called one of the Top Ten Dangerous Roads in the World and one of the Top Eighteen Peculiar Roads in the World.
The tunnel opened up the village to outsiders and sparked a boom in tourism, that continues to this day.
The village is full of unique stone houses and affords stunning views of the breathtaking surrounding scenery.
In particular, it makes the perfect place from which to explore the Grand Gorge that leads towards the Wangmang Mountain in Shanxi Province.
The gorge offers a stunning landscape of beautiful red rocks, waterfalls and lush greenery.
