Secret bunkers, relics from the past and a hand drawn map to guide us. We explore a large network of tunnels underground and discover a part of Taiwan that most people have never seen or heard of. These are the abandoned bunkers of the Fengshan
Xīn fēng is a rural township in Hsinchu County, with a population of less than 60 000. With it’s beautiful ocean views, this small township is located on the west coast of Taiwan and faces the Taiwan strait. It would make strategic sense to have a military presence in this area, and that is exactly what I have come to explore. I am meeting two old friends at the entrance of the Fèng qí sunset trail
After a brisk walk of about 20min we reached the bunker that we planned to enter. And what a site to behold. Weathered and warn, the bunker was still standing strong. As we entered the bunker, it became apparent to me that this adventure is going to be totally different to any of my other adventures I’ve been on in Taiwan.
We entered this rather large tunnel, compared to the other tunnels we have been to. It must have been designed to move heavy equipment or personnel to the bunkers that lay ahead. As we were walking down this dark hallway, it became clear to me that this tunnel network is much larger than what I have imagined. Motivational slogans are painted on the walls, inspiring soldiers to fight to the death. A grim reminder, that the price of freedom could mean, someone’s life.
We found these special coordinate charts that were painted inside the shooting bunkers to assist the canon operators with targeting predetermined markers. It is quite amazing to think that canon operators had to manually adjust and shoot the canons. As we entered an enclosed bunker, we found this strange tunnel that looked a bit different to the other tunnels we’ve been to. We had to find out where this tunnel was leading, and what we found, blew my mind
A traditional door opened up to a strange room with large windows and white painted walls. The room was furnished with soft chairs and a coffee table, giving the impression that this must have been the high-ranking officials meeting room. We could hear some voices outside and quickly realized that we might be right next to the army’s active shooting range. We decided to quickly get out of there before anyone noticed us.
After a few turns, Anders guided us to this small tunnel that I might have missed if he didn’t point it out to me. It was narrow and we couldn’t even stand up-straight. The passage led us to a small bunker where we could get out and catch some much needed fresh air. The next part of the tunnel network had a lot of stairs. As we head deeper and deeper underground, I could see the tunnel design changing. It seemed to be a much older network of tunnels, connected over many decades. Bunker after bunker, we visited them all and spent a lot of hours exploring these militaristic structures from the past.
As I walked through these hallways, I could just imagine how much effort it must have taken from the soldiers of old, to dig out these tunnels and build these bunkers. Working day and night with shovels and picks, to build a defense structure that can protect their country and people. Taiwan is prone to earthquakes, which is most probably why some of these tunnels have collapsed or taken damage. Fortunately, most of the tunnels and bunkers were still intact and we could easily exit the tunnels any time we wanted to.
As we ventured on, we reached an area that was not yet explored. It appeared as if the tunnel collapsed and left an opening to a small chamber underneath it. We had to get down there to find out what was hiding in that unexplored chamber.
And what a surprise it was! Discarded military gear was scattered all over the floor. Clothing, electronic equipment and pieces of rubble were lying dormant, forgotten by time, on a floor that seemed to get muddy every time heavy rainwater would enter the tunnel system.
For a detailed blog with all the necessary information, maps, photos, and GPS coordinates, you can visit David’s website: www.maproomexplorers.com It is a great resource with a lot of practical information for beginners and pro-hikers alike.
