Beihai Tunnel, Nangan

A marvel of engineering, carved by human hands. In 1968, the "Beihai Project," initiated for strategic needs, led to the excavation of numerous "underground docks" in the Matsu region, specifically for guerrilla boats to berth. Now, after being opened to the public by the military, it has become a unique "wartime landscape" in Matsu. Indeed, a visit to the Beihai Tunnel is considered essential for anyone visiting Matsu. The Beihai Tunnel is located along the Tieban coastline. It is a waterway that penetrates deep into the mountain, cutting through rock walls, forming a crisscrossing "well" shape. The waterway is 18 meters high, 10 meters wide, and 640 meters long. At high tide, the water level reaches 8 meters, and at low tide, it's 4 meters. The entire walking path is 700 meters long, and a full circuit takes about 30 minutes. However, entry is only possible at low tide, requiring visitors to coordinate with tidal changes. This underground tunnel, capable of accommodating over a hundred landing craft, was considered a highly challenging engineering project at the time. A total of two divisions, three infantry battalions, one engineering battalion, and one dump truck company were merged into three groups, working day and night in shifts. It took 820 workdays to complete. Due to the rudimentary construction equipment available then, apart from blasting with explosives, the entire granite rock wall was excavated solely by human effort, chisel by chisel, axe by axe. Many officers and soldiers sacrificed their lives during its construction. The immense difficulty and grand scale of the project truly showcase superb craftsmanship. In the era when war clouds loomed thick, the Beihai Tunnel once aimed to serve as an underground pier...