Shuangping Cliff Road (Cliff Heaven Road): Driving China's Hand-Dug Tunnel
Shuangping Cliff Road, also known locally as Cliff Heaven Road (端公岩), is a highly challenging and historically significant tunnel route located in the Kaizhou District of Chongqing Municipality, China. This paved road is one of the country's famous 'tunnel roads' (Guoliang style), known for its sheer vertical exposure and the incredible effort required for its construction.
Engineering and Technical Risk
The road was built directly onto a sheer 1,500-meter-high cliff face. The drive demands maximum concentration due to the extreme vertical drop and the road's most challenging feature: the tunnel section.
| Engineering Metric | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Kaizhou District, Chongqing Municipality |
| Cliff Height | 1,500 meters (4,921 feet) |
| Tunnel Length | 595 meters (1,952 feet) |
| Tunnel Width/Clearance | Single-lane traffic only (Est. 2m clearance) |
| Road Surface | Totally paved |
History of Necessity
Before its construction, the village of Shuangping was effectively isolated. Villagers had to spend four arduous hours using their hands and feet to descend an 800-meter-high cliff just to reach the outside world, resulting in frequent accidents and material losses.
The road was first built by determined villagers in 1997. This immense undertaking—a vital necessity for local security and logistics—was later expanded using government and social funding in 2011 to secure year-round access and improve safety. The defiant spirit and engineering effort demonstrated here make the route a key historical driving challenge.
Driving Conditions and Precautions
The road is extremely narrow in sections, making two-way traffic highly challenging and requiring maximum driver concentration. Given the massive drop-offs just off the side of the road, the views are stunning, yet intimidating. Drivers must proceed slowly and be prepared for limited visibility within the hand-cut tunnel sections.