So basically, after WW2 when the Japanese were forced to give up their colonial aspirations in Taiwan, the island was left to it's own devices until 1949. In 1949 Chiang Kai Sheck, the leader of the nationalist Party in China, lost to the Communists. He got all scared and ran away to Taiwan to re-group, build up his army and then launch a counter attack to re-take the mainland. I guess Taiwan was a bit too comfortable because despite all the talk and bolstering, he never actually got around to doing it.
However, China still posed a great threat to the Nationalists and were quite happy to lob bombs at Taiwan from time to time, and the gesture was often returned.
It goes without saying that if you're under threat from bombs and missiles, you need somewhere to hide. More than this, you need somewhere to operate from - a kind of command center.
So when the nationalists landed on Taiwan, they set up a new provincial capital called Zhonxing New Village and operated from there until they got organised and sorted themselves out. Although the capital quickly moved to Taipei, Zhonxing New village remained a government area until quite recently. The provincial capital was set up, and a bunker designed to hold more than 3000 important people was dug into the mountainside. It was designed to withstand a sustained attack, giving protection against biological, conventional and chemical warfare.
The bunker was mothballed sometime in the 1990's, although occasional bunker drills still took place. In 1999, the bunker was closed for good due to very extensive damaged caused by the devastating September 21st earthquake.
The bunker is now totally sealed up with bricks and concrete and you have to be a genius (or at least be able to complete a Rubik's cube successfully) in order to work out a way to get in.
In sealing up the six entrances to the bunker, they made a slight oversight which I exploited and then we were in. Aside from a team of geologists who went into the bunker in 2000 to survey the fault line that runs straight through the bunker, before it was sealed for good, nobody has been in since.
That's 13 years, folks.
Nowadays, ZhongXing New Village is kind of a tourist destination. Bicycle tours take in the entrance to the bunkers and a guy on a microphone tells stories about what is behind the think concrete walls that seal up the bunker. imagination runs rife with stories of venomous snakes and ghosts, the tour guides are adamant you can't get in....
...well, you know by now that you can...
So, first off, a corridor. Note the benches. You were assigned a number, and you sat under the corresponding number in the tunnels.
Remains of the internal PA system. And ceiling.
Etched seat numbers.
Radio operator's room.
Code red. Inside the command and control room:
Attack status board:
Attack Imminent alert lit up. Attack status map includes attack by parachute, chemical, nuclear, rocket and biological.
Operations room map:
An actual underground fault line. It's not everyday you WALK through one of these.
Extraction system:
The whole place is falling apart.
Door to the hospital. Unfortunately, we couldn't get in because the walls had warped, making the door un-openable.
Escape route/air vent. I can't get up there without ropes. However, there is another building at the top which i will explore soon. it does mean cutting through jungle.
Chiang Kai Sheck (left) and Dr Sun Yet San (middle) Desk Lamp (right)
This is one of these place that you just know nobody will ever access again. It's literally collapsing and the mountain will, within a few years, make access impossible and also totally pointless.
I will point out here that I didn't notice any snakes or ghosts - however, joking aside, snakes are around and actually, you do have to watch out for them.
Hey guys, thanks for looking. For your information, I'm also the author of this thread:
"http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/european-international-sites/68445-abandoned-theatre-taipei-taiwan-february-2011-a.html"
However, I have been unable to access this site from Taiwan for two years - must be the Commies on the mainland!!
Cheers,
Clarence
Thanks for the replies - glad you enjoyed the report.
Here is a quick shot of the outside of the bunker:
And that's me and in the middle with this explore's team, outside another entrance to the bunker:
Back with more explores soon.
Take care!
However, China still posed a great threat to the Nationalists and were quite happy to lob bombs at Taiwan from time to time, and the gesture was often returned.
It goes without saying that if you're under threat from bombs and missiles, you need somewhere to hide. More than this, you need somewhere to operate from - a kind of command center.
So when the nationalists landed on Taiwan, they set up a new provincial capital called Zhonxing New Village and operated from there until they got organised and sorted themselves out. Although the capital quickly moved to Taipei, Zhonxing New village remained a government area until quite recently. The provincial capital was set up, and a bunker designed to hold more than 3000 important people was dug into the mountainside. It was designed to withstand a sustained attack, giving protection against biological, conventional and chemical warfare.
The bunker was mothballed sometime in the 1990's, although occasional bunker drills still took place. In 1999, the bunker was closed for good due to very extensive damaged caused by the devastating September 21st earthquake.
The bunker is now totally sealed up with bricks and concrete and you have to be a genius (or at least be able to complete a Rubik's cube successfully) in order to work out a way to get in.
In sealing up the six entrances to the bunker, they made a slight oversight which I exploited and then we were in. Aside from a team of geologists who went into the bunker in 2000 to survey the fault line that runs straight through the bunker, before it was sealed for good, nobody has been in since.
That's 13 years, folks.
Nowadays, ZhongXing New Village is kind of a tourist destination. Bicycle tours take in the entrance to the bunkers and a guy on a microphone tells stories about what is behind the think concrete walls that seal up the bunker. imagination runs rife with stories of venomous snakes and ghosts, the tour guides are adamant you can't get in....
...well, you know by now that you can...
So, first off, a corridor. Note the benches. You were assigned a number, and you sat under the corresponding number in the tunnels.
Remains of the internal PA system. And ceiling.
Etched seat numbers.
Radio operator's room.
Code red. Inside the command and control room:
Attack status board:
Attack Imminent alert lit up. Attack status map includes attack by parachute, chemical, nuclear, rocket and biological.
Operations room map:
An actual underground fault line. It's not everyday you WALK through one of these.
Extraction system:
The whole place is falling apart.
Door to the hospital. Unfortunately, we couldn't get in because the walls had warped, making the door un-openable.
Escape route/air vent. I can't get up there without ropes. However, there is another building at the top which i will explore soon. it does mean cutting through jungle.
Chiang Kai Sheck (left) and Dr Sun Yet San (middle) Desk Lamp (right)
This is one of these place that you just know nobody will ever access again. It's literally collapsing and the mountain will, within a few years, make access impossible and also totally pointless.
I will point out here that I didn't notice any snakes or ghosts - however, joking aside, snakes are around and actually, you do have to watch out for them.
Hey guys, thanks for looking. For your information, I'm also the author of this thread:
"http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/european-international-sites/68445-abandoned-theatre-taipei-taiwan-february-2011-a.html"
However, I have been unable to access this site from Taiwan for two years - must be the Commies on the mainland!!
Cheers,
Clarence
Thanks for the replies - glad you enjoyed the report.
Here is a quick shot of the outside of the bunker:
And that's me and in the middle with this explore's team, outside another entrance to the bunker:
Back with more explores soon.
Take care!
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