Xiya Valley Hanging Tunnel is dug out by hand

Located between Henan and Lingchuan counties, in Shanxi Province, China, the Xiya Valley Hanging Tunnel is a marvel of engineering dug out by hand. It’s one of the famous Chinese tunnel roads.

Xiya Valley Hanging Tunnel

Tucked away in the Taihang mountain range in the Xiyagou Valley, the road is also known as Xiyagou Guabian Road, Xiyagou Walled Highway and Xiyagou wall-mounted highway. It twists and turns in three layers and was dug out by hand in 1962. The road was created to access to Xiyagou village. Its construction took more than 30 years. Today the road is closed to private vehicles: only buses are allowed.

The road is totally paved. It’s nearly 8 km (5 mile) long and draws a "Z" to climb the top of the mountain. The most challenging section of the road is a short tunnel completed on June 28, 1991. Inside the tunnel, the road is very narrow, impassable for 2 cars at the same time. Its lighting comes from the side windows.
Road suggested by: jorge manuel gómez sánchez
Pic: chunlei xue