China's Engineering Marvels: Driving The 24 Most Daring Tunnel Roads
China is home to some of the most extreme tunnel roads in the world, built through sheer cliffs and rugged mountains. In remote areas like the Taihang Mountains, entire villages were once cut off, with only steep, dangerous footpaths as access. To connect these communities, locals took matters into their own hands, carving tunnels straight through the rock.
Guoliang Tunnel
This tunnel road is 700 meters long, with two tunnels of 5 meters high and 4 meters wide. Villagers spent 5 years carving it directly through the rock. The open route now allows regular vehicle traffic and has led to the development of local family inns. Drive the Guoliang Tunnel guide
Kunshan Tunnel
This single-lane mountain track climbs from 1,000 to 1,300 meters above sea level through a sequence of tunnels. The route is 1.6 km long, consists of 6 small tunnels, and heavy winter ice forces its complete closure during the cold months. Drive the Kunshan Tunnel guide
Xiya Valley Hanging Tunnel
Local residents spent 30 years cutting this road into the sheer rock face. The track spirals across the surface of a vertical cliff with open windows along the way. The original gravel surface was covered with concrete in 2003. It runs 2 km northwest of Xiyagou, between Shanwa and Nan'anshang villages. Drive the Xiya Valley Hanging Tunnel guide
Chen Family Hanging Tunnel
Located near the Chen Family Reservoir, this road features a waterfall right at the tunnel exit portal. It is part of a highway system, making it one of the widest and most accessible hanging roads, though heavy coal transport trucks frequently cause traffic jams and generate dust inside the passage.
Jingdi Village Hanging Tunnel
This 2 km long tunnel was dug through the mountain over a period of 6 years. The interior route runs through the rock structure near Jingdi Village and features several sharp bends.
Lanying Cliff Road
Located on the southern slopes of the central Daba Mountains in Wuxi County, this narrow, fully paved road drops 1.2 km down the side of a sheer cliff. Built by villagers with hand hammers in 2001, it serves as the only vehicle route connecting Lanying village to the outside world. Drive the Lanying Cliff Road guide
Shibanhe Cliff Road
This mountain road is 4.5 meters wide, completely paved with concrete, and runs for 470 meters between Chuangou and Yueliangdongcun. Until 2000, the only access to Shibanhe village in Hezhang County was a narrow, steep foot track called Ladder Rock. Drive the Shibanhe Cliff Road guide
The old Hongtiguan Tunnel Road
This unpaved mountain track in Pingshun County climbs at a steady 30% incline. The layout consists of 5 separate tunnels cut into the cliffs, overcoming a 200-meter vertical height difference between the top and bottom portals. It was dug by 800 villagers in 1968 using hand tools. Drive the old Hongtiguan Tunnel Road guide
Jingdi Hanging Tunnel
Carved into the cliffs of Pingshun County between 1985 and 2000, this tunnel is 1,526 meters long. The interior dimensions range from 6 to 10 meters wide and 4 to 5 meters high. The narrow sections are prone to regular traffic jams. Drive the Jingdi Hanging Tunnel guide
Huilong-Hanging Tunnel
Also known as the Huilong Wall Road, this fully paved but very narrow route runs for 8 km along a vertical cliff face in the Southern Taihang Mountains. It serves as a direct mountain link connecting the Henan and Shanxi provinces. Drive the Huilong Hanging Tunnel guide
Youzhuda Grand Canyon Wall Road
This route is excavated on the cliff face directly above the Yongding River at the border of Hebei province. The calzada is a two-way asphalt road that transitions into a single-lane gravel track once inside the tunnel sections. Drive the Youzhuda Grand Canyon Wall Road guide
Xifanggoucun Road
Tucked away in the Daba Mountains of Ningqiang County, this concrete-paved road hangs approximately 3,000 feet high above the ground. Built by residents between 2000 and 2006, the 6,000-meter-long track is the only vehicle route connecting Xifanggoucun village to the outside world. Drive the Xifanggoucun Road guide
Xiaguo Wall Road
This 560-meter-long paved road is excavated on a cliff face directly above the Xiagou Reservoir in Xingtai. Built by local villagers during the 1970s, it functions as the single vehicle access route connecting the village to the outside world. Drive the Xiaguo Wall Road guide
Chenjiayuan Hanging Highway
Built between 1990 and 1993 for heavy coal transportation, this mountain track in Lingchuan County is excavated directly on the rock wall above the Chenjiayuan Reservoir in the Taihang Mountains. Drive the Chenjiayuan Hanging Highway guide
Chishui Cliff road
This mountain track runs 200 meters above the Chishui River canyon floor in Xuyong County. Digging the rock wall took 10 years using hand tools like picks and hammers. Before recent updates, drivers had to tackle the cliff face and then transfer vehicles onto a boat to cross the river into Yunnan province. Drive the Chishui Cliff Road guide
Shangla Walla Tunnel Road
Set high in the Taihang Mountains of Henan province, this hand-hewn tunnel is 162 meters long and features a series of 8 rock windows for light. A small group of local villagers constructed the passage between 1975 and 1977. Drive the Shangla Wall Tunnel Road guide
Qiwangzhai Wall Tunnel Road
This 600-meter-long tunnel road in the Taihang Mountains of Henan province was dug out between 1973 and 1978. It is paved with concrete and leads to a scenic mountain bridge that connects directly to Qiwangzhaicun village. Drive the Qiwangzhai Wall Tunnel Road guide
Shuangping Cliff Road
Built on a vertical cliff 1,500 meters high, this 595-meter-long paved track connects Shuangping village with the outside world. Hand-dug by locals in 1997, the route was further upgraded with concrete in 2011 using public funding. Drive the Shuangping Cliff Road guide
Huahu Cliff tunnel road
Also known as Jinyu No.56 Highway, this 22 km paved route runs from Pingshun to Linzhou through the Taihang Mountains. The path includes 7 narrow tunnels built in the 1980s. Heavy rockslides occur frequently, making the track impassable during rainy seasons. Drive the Huahu Cliff tunnel road guide
Xialondong Cliff Tunnel Road
Located on the western margin of Hunan province, this 1 kilometer road includes a 200-meter unlined tunnel section built during the 1960s and 1970s. The track is extremely narrow, though recent updates added internal electric lights and a roadside lookout point. Drive the Xialondong Cliff Tunnel Road guide
Jiangxia Wall Hung Road
Excavated on a cliff face directly above the Yongning River in Hui County, this track was hewn by hand by local villagers in the 1970s using simple tools. Open rock windows carved along the tunnel walls provide visibility over the river gorge below. Drive the Jiangxia Wall Hung Road guide.
Gushuang Cliff Tunnel Road
This mountain road runs for 33.8 km from Gulin to Shuangsha through the Xinyan Gorge. Carved out in the early 1980s using explosives and hand hammers, historical records indicate that between 20 and 30 workers died during its construction. Drive the Gushuang Cliff Tunnel Road guide
Mingyue Gorge Ancient Plank Road
This cliffside route in Sichuan was carved over 2,300 years ago to connect with Shaanxi and Gansu. Following severe earthquake damage in 2016, the track was restored for historical preservation. Private vehicles are completely restricted from entering, and only official tour buses can access the route. Drive the Mingyue Gorge Ancient Plank Road guide
Songkan River Cliff Road
The Songkan River Cliff Road in Guizhou consists of a 6.8 km narrow concrete track carved into vertical canyon walls. The route features tight hand-cut tunnel sections running directly opposite an old railway line, leaving zero room for driver error above the gorge. Drive the Songkan River Cliff Road guide