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China-Japan-Koreas
China Opens Vast Underground Nuke Plant to Public
2010-04-29
China has opened the world's largest underground nuclear weapons plant to the public. According to the official China Daily on Tuesday, China opened the plant dubbed the "816 project" in a mountain in Chongqing's Fuling district to tourists recently. It lies in the world's largest man-made cave, which is 20 km deep.

A 79.6 m-high nine-story building was built in the cave with a total floor area of some 13,000 sq. m. A reactor in the plant produced weapons-grade plutonium 239. The entire facility consists of 18 caves, 130 roads, tunnels, mine shafts, and weapons and food storage. It is designed to withstand a magnitude 8 earthquake or a nuclear attack.

Construction began with approval by then premier Zhou Enlai in 1967. A total of about 60,000 workers were mobilized during the eight-year construction, which cost 740 million yuan.

China decided to build this nuclear facility when relations with the Soviet Union turned sour in the 1960s, but it shut down amid changes in the international situation in 1984. In 2002, Beijing declassified the facility and now the Chongqing city government has opened it to the public.

But the plant is still under strict control, with soldiers standing guard at the entrance. Tourists are allowed to enter only with permits, the daily reported.
Posted by:Steve White

#6  And Deacon takes the lead for the "Snark 'o the Day" award. :-D
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2010-04-29 21:06  

#5  They use Mop and Glow to clean the floors.
Posted by: Deacon Blues   2010-04-29 20:44  

#4  After seeing various examples of Chinese quality control, I doubt I'd be too crazy about touring one of their nuclear weapons plants. You'd probably come out glowing like a cheap Mao wristwatch.
Posted by: tu3031   2010-04-29 19:30  

#3  Underground Walmart factories?
Posted by: Besoeker   2010-04-29 02:13  

#2  Length, depth, what's the difference?
/The crack MSM fact checking squad.

Some pics (3 pages) from China Daily.
Posted by: ed   2010-04-29 02:04  

#1  20 KM deep????!!!! That is over 60,000 feet deep! That is where earthquakes are born. I am a bit skeptical of the depth, also the heat of the earth down there would be damned hot! For example, gold mine shafts in the Rand in South Africa are 13,000 ft deep, and have to be air conditioned because of the heat of the rocks.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2010-04-29 01:44  

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