Chapter 550 Let's Bury It (Revised): How Great Humanity Is
Wang Xiao was unable to comfort Ivan.
If it were someone else, she could tell them, "Honey, this isn't your responsibility."
The whole world knows this is not your responsibility.
The nuclear submarine sank on August 12th, and by the 23rd, it had arrived in Moscow. Its entire trajectory was Shanghai → Hong Kong → Moscow.
She met countless people, most of whom knew about the Russian nuclear submarine disaster—it was international headline news. They also knew that her fiancé was the Russian Deputy Prime Minister.
But no one asked her about or discussed the nuclear submarines in front of her.
Because everyone assumes that this has nothing to do with Ivan.
The military provides the information, but the president makes the final decision.
Even if the president insists on seeking advice, he has his own team of staff. And even if he needs advice from higher levels of government, Russia has the prime minister.
Oh, you said the Prime Minister is on vacation? Ha! This is the Middle Ages, do we still need to send messages by fast horse and carrier pigeon? A phone call can solve the problem.
Because Ivan was in Moscow, he became the only person who could advise the president.
Ha, even if you dare to make this up, someone has to dare to believe it!
Even if you step back and look at the whole timeline, she could suspect that the president did it on purpose, deliberately dragging Ivan into it to mess with his mentality.
As for why the president did this, it's because the historical trajectory before her time travel is different. Before running for office, this president had no publicly available achievements to show for it; he was entirely the result of the previous president's strong push.
Conversely, although Ivan publicly stated from the beginning of his tenure as deputy prime minister that he had no intention of running for president, perhaps precisely because of this, voters who were dissatisfied with the other candidates favored him more.
In addition, his outstanding achievements during his tenure as head of the economy, especially the substitution of long-term government bonds for GKO bonds, have been praised as a brilliant and unexpected move that stabilized the Russian economy during the financial crisis.
Moreover, he has been dedicated to restoring industrial and agricultural production and is known as "the man who helped Russia catch up with the lost decade".
Even if he had no interest in the Kremlin, he was still someone people feared.
The president has every reason to mess with Ivan's mentality, to completely break him down, and to make him never think of entering the Kremlin again.
Damn it! She avoided suspicion, she gave them plenty of face, stayed away from Moscow, and didn't participate in the election at all. And yet they're bullying her now.
Wang Xiao was so angry she wanted to grind her teeth.
But none of that matters now.
Because Ivan didn't care, and he didn't care who should be blamed.
The only thing that lingered in his mind was that he had the opportunity to save those 118 lives, but he didn't reach out.
This is an unsolvable problem, because the dead cannot be brought back to life.
Wang Xiao simply sat down on the grass and, without saying a word, hugged Ivan's head to his chest.
The afternoon sun in autumn was like the sweet core of an Aksu apple, carrying its own rich, sweet fragrance. Her fingers dug into his damp hair, and a warm breeze blew, carrying the scent of umami shampoo from her fingertips.
His cheek pressed against her lower abdomen, his breath hot and damp, seeping through the cotton fabric, rapid and labored like someone drowning. As her fingers caressed him again and again, his trembling body gradually slowed, and Wang Xiao felt the damp heat on the cotton fabric.
Ivan was crying, crying silently in the vast silence and wind of the steppe.
The sound of horses' hooves approached, accompanied by the laughter of the boys.
The eleven- or twelve-year-old boys sat steadily on the saddle using only the strength of their waists and legs, cupping their hands to their mouths like megaphones, and loudly shouting Ivan's name.
Wang Xiao smiled and shook his head at them.
The boys laughed even louder, putting their index fingers to their thumbs and whistling loudly.
The voice was drawn out, full of wildness and mockery.
Then the sound of hooves once again became the main melody of the grassland. The horses carried the boys, turning into leaping silhouettes without any hesitation, crashing into the golden sunlight, so vibrant and unrestrained.
It is full of vitality.
Wang Xiao watched them speed away.
She ran her fingers along Ivan's scalp until no more warm liquid appeared on the cloth, then suddenly spoke: "Then bury him."
The head that she was holding stopped twitching slightly, as if asking: What?
Wang Xiao said earnestly, "Bury it, it should be buried."
Ivan slightly raised his head, his eyelashes were wet, and his eyes were slightly red.
Wang Xiao lowered her head, kissed his eyes, and repeated once more, "Then let's bury him."
After a brief moment of confusion, Ivan understood her words—the person is dead, so bury them.
At that moment, he didn't know how to describe his feelings.
That's how Wang is—like an extremely protective mother, unconditionally accepting everything about him.
But precisely because of this, he was even more at a loss.
But Wang Xiao had already made up her mind: "Let's go, I'll take you somewhere."
As she spoke, she patted Ivan's head. "Get up, we're leaving right away."
She was going neither to Aksu nor to Xinjiang, so she had to say goodbye to Comrade Hu.
Hu Yanglin's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled back into his chest, and he immediately began to happily make arrangements to see the boss off.
The sooner she leaves, the better. As long as she stays here, he worries that she'll try to take advantage of the solar-powered sheep and ducks.
Wang Xiao was instantly annoyed when she saw that the corners of his mouth were almost hanging from his ears.
This is the first time in all her years as a boss that she has been so disliked by her subordinates.
So she and Ivan the Cricket spoke ill of him behind his back: "If Lao Hu's family were to open a convenience store, they would definitely feed their kids expired snacks that haven't been sold yet."
Ivan couldn't help but smirk as he involuntarily recalled the scene and realized it was indeed true.
Wang Xiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It's alright, as long as someone is alive. Nothing matters more than life and death; as long as someone is alive, anything can be solved.
She snorted angrily and muttered, "You want to eat what he raises? You think it's something special?"
Before they could even get in the car, another car drove up from a distance.
Two men dressed like bosses got out of the car, one on the left and one on the right.
The person who got out of the driver's seat boasted to the person who got out of the passenger seat: "Let me tell you, look, this board is specially designed to absorb cosmic energy. The grass and insects growing under it are full of cosmic energy. After sheep and ducks eat it, they become even more energy-rich."
His companion's eyes widened: "Really? You're exaggerating."
“Oh, why am I exaggerating?” the driver retorted. “Back then in the park, we were absorbing cosmic energy by holding aluminum pots on our heads. Now, with these solar panels, it’s even more powerful than those aluminum pots.”
Wang Xiao quickly turned his head away, afraid he would burst out laughing. So these two are old-school Qigong practitioners? Practicing with an aluminum pot on their heads? What kind of Qigong is that again?
The person who got out of the passenger seat waved his hands repeatedly: "Hey, don't talk about practicing martial arts, you're not allowed to practice martial arts now."
The man driving didn't seem to care and waved his hand dismissively: "Forget it, who cares what kind of kung fu you practice? Even the emperor doesn't care about monks and Taoists, so why would he care about the White Lotus Sect? Isn't that because he's afraid the White Lotus Sect will rebel? Hey, Mr. Hu, give us two sheep, and do you have any duck eggs?"
Hu Yanglin shouted from afar, "Yes, yes, yes, I specially saved some for you. I didn't give any to anyone else."
Wow, so enthusiastic!
Wang Xiao pursed her lips, pulled Ivan into the car, and said, "Let's go!"
Ivan's lips curled up slightly, and he obediently nodded: "Okay."
Once in the car, Wang Xiao hugged his big head, stroking it gently, and earnestly emphasized, "You are mine."
She is the one who decides everything, including all matters.
Wang Xiao's destination was Chongqing. In 2000, he flew from Aksu to Chongqing, but had to transfer in Urumqi. It took him eight hours to get to Chongqing because he had to buy a ticket at Diwopu Airport.
Throughout the journey, the Xinjiang officials accompanying them repeatedly apologized for the delays caused to Mr. Ivanov due to the lack of coordination.
He had originally planned to let the guests explore Urumqi while waiting for their flight. However, the guests said they didn't want to trouble the security personnel any further and preferred to wait at the airport.
I waited for more than three hours for nothing.
Wang Xiao clasped his hands together, quite embarrassed: "You're too kind. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision for us. We've been troubling you all and wasting so much of your time and energy. We are truly grateful."
The head of the Aksu Foreign Affairs Office quickly emphasized, "You're too kind. Please forgive us if there were any oversights in our hospitality."
To be honest, Aksu didn't have much of a chance to shine during the entire reception.
Because Mr. Ivanov's activities were confined to the vicinity of the photovoltaic base, which he and his wife had invested in themselves. They didn't bother to see the scenery elsewhere, and simply spent their days riding horses in the vicinity.
The person in charge in Chongqing who took over the project wanted to ask him about things to be aware of, but he didn't have much to say. Because he really lives a very simple life, he's incredibly down-to-earth, and never caused any trouble from beginning to end.
However, he spoke too soon. Just because people aren't causing trouble in Aksu doesn't mean they won't cause trouble in Chongqing.
The Chongqing vice mayor, who had just gotten off the plane and personally went to the airport to pick him up, immediately got stuck.
Why? Because Mr. Ivanov wanted to see the underground Great Wall in Chongqing.
How could the vice mayor not be stumped? Chongqing is a mountain city with many amazing sights; whatever foreign guests want to see, they'll accompany them. But this underground Great Wall—forgive them, they're powerless to help; they've never even heard of it in all their years in Chongqing.
Wang Xiao gestured: "I remember it wasn't called the Underground Great Wall, what was it called again? We had tense relations with the Soviet Union before, so we dug it for many years. But later, the international situation changed and relations eased, so the project was abandoned. It's been abandoned for many years now, and we just want to see the miracle that was built back then."
Unfortunately, the bewildered vice mayor asked his secretary, who was known as the "know-it-all" in Chongqing, but the answer was still the same: shake his head.
I've never heard of it, I really have never heard of such a place.
The vice mayor, slightly embarrassed, tried to get Wang Xiao to recall: "Do you remember roughly where in Chongqing it is?"
He didn't think this was anything special. After all, during the era of preparing for war and famine, China dug up countless underground kingdoms, many of which were once considered top secret. However, starting in the mid-1980s, these former military secrets were gradually opened up, either rented to fruit and vegetable vendors as warehouses or simply turned into skating rinks, and have been completely integrated into the daily lives of ordinary people.
It's possible that the underground Great Wall that Mr. Wang heard about at the dinner table is actually like this.
A sudden inspiration struck Wang Xiao, and he blurted out, "Bai Tao, the underground Great Wall is in Bai Tao Town."
But the deputy mayor's secretary, who was known as Chongqing's gossip expert, was dumbfounded. Where was Baitao Town? He had never heard of this place before.
But when foreign guests visit Chongqing, this is the only place they specifically request to visit. Regardless of whether they are guests or diplomacy is of paramount importance, they certainly have to meet the needs of their foreign guests.
Without saying a word, the secretary bought a map of Chongqing and, along with a few young people, set off to find Baitao Town.
The recent college graduate who joined the government was the most astute; he simply called the publishing house to inquire.
As a result, the editor in charge of publishing the map was very certain that without Baitao Town, there would be no such place name in Chongqing, nor in the surrounding counties.
That's a bit much. It's very likely that Mr. Wang misheard something at the dinner table. After all, everyone's been drinking, so it's normal for them to slur their words.
The secretary was both amused and exasperated, and ran to report to the boss.
The deputy mayor then specifically sought out Wang Xiao to apologize: "I'm really sorry, we checked the map and asked the publishing house staff, but there's no place called Baitao. It might not be called that."
He was talking to them in the corridor when a hotel cleaner carrying a bucket of water walked past them. He hesitated for a moment before turning around and tentatively speaking: "Boss, are you talking about Bai Tao? It's on the banks of the Wujiang River in Fuling. I'm from that area. It used to be called Bai Tao, but then a new chemical plant was built there. We still call ourselves Bai Tao, but when I write home, this place is no longer there."
The deputy mayor quickly asked the cleaning staff, "Does this new chemical plant have underground works?"
He thought that the construction of the new chemical plant back then should have been part of the Third Front construction project. Chongqing, as a mountain city, was naturally suitable for the Third Front; otherwise, it wouldn't have become the wartime capital during the War of Resistance against Japan.
The cleaner shook her head: "I don't know, they never let people in there."
The deputy mayor asked in surprise, "Is that factory still in production?"
Chemical plants require a high level of safety; the chemical raw materials inside can easily cause accidents if handled by non-professionals. It's not surprising that outsiders are not allowed to enter freely.
The cleaner shook his head again: "I can't really explain it. I've only ever seen a big chimney from outside. When I was a kid, I heard a story about a cow that ran inside, and by the time they found it, the cow was already dead. That's all I really know."
The deputy mayor was disappointed, but not too disappointed, because knowing what kind of place it was made things easier.
Moreover, since it is still in production today, it must be a large-scale factory. It's a good thing that former foreign dignitaries want to visit it; it's something that can be promoted.
However, this newly built chemical plant is surprisingly low-key; he hadn't heard much about it even after being in Chongqing for several years.
When the deputy mayor made the call, he didn't get much information. Then the police called first and told him directly, "Don't ask any more questions. You can't go to that place."
Why? Because the military industry there is classified, it's under the control of higher authorities, and the level of secrecy is extremely high. There are still a group of people watching over it to this day.
The Chongqing police are only responsible for sending people to guard the perimeter; they haven't even gone inside themselves. How could Mr. Ivanov, a recently retired Russian Deputy Prime Minister, possibly go there to see anything? It's inappropriate, really inappropriate.
Why don't you take people to Ciqikou to stroll through the old streets, eat some fried dough twists, and sit in a teahouse?
The deputy mayor tried to persuade them further: "Didn't they say it had been shut down for many years? What exactly does it produce? We can't let outsiders see it."
"I don't know," the police chief emphasized. "Don't ask, and I won't ask either. Anyway, you can't go."
The deputy mayor was at his wit's end, but he reluctantly went to find Wang Xiao again: "That's a chemical plant over there. It's not very safe to go there, and there's nothing fun about it. I asked around, and they don't have an underground Great Wall at their plant."
Wang Xiao was quite disappointed.
The place she wanted to take Ivan to was an underground engineering project that tens of thousands of engineers had been building for many years, but construction was halted in the 1980s and it was never used. It later became a tourist attraction.
She had visited it before her time travel and remembered it as very large, even more so than Hongyadong.
As a result, Hongyadong Scenic Area didn't exist in Chongqing in 2000, so this time we can't even see this underground project.
Undeterred, Wang Xiao pressed on, asking, "Is there a martyrs' cemetery nearby? I heard that many people sacrificed their lives during its construction. Since we're here, even if we can't visit the factory, we should at least go to the martyrs' cemetery to lay a bouquet of flowers."
This request is a bit strange, but it seems to be better than nothing.
Moreover, he is a former Russian deputy prime minister, and it is not a bad thing for him to lay flowers at the Chongqing Martyrs' Cemetery from any perspective.
So the deputy mayor agreed again and went to inquire once more.
Now that they had a general idea of the location, his gossip-loving secretary went all out and actually found the martyrs' cemetery. There really was such a cemetery, called "A Bowl of Water," deep in the mountains.
However, this request to pay respects was rejected because the Yiwanshui Martyrs' Cemetery is also a restricted area, and unless a martyr's immediate family member obtains approval, no one else can enter.
At this point, the deputy mayor stopped asking. "Forget it," he said, "it's a secret, don't ask anymore."
He went straight to the point with Wang Xiao: "That area is under the jurisdiction of the military, and as you know, it's very sensitive when it comes to military matters. We understand Mr. Ivanov's goodwill, but it might not be convenient for us to go there."
He believes that the former deputy prime minister should understand that when the Sakhalin Island earthquake struck, Japan and other countries offered to help with search and rescue because there were many military facilities on the island, but Russia refused without hesitation.
This is true of every country; when it comes to military matters, one cannot be careless.
Wang Xiao never expected that even in 2000, this long-abandoned underground project would still be so highly confidential.
She nodded immediately: "I'm sorry, we didn't know it was a military restricted area. We've caused you trouble. How about this—"
She turned around and waved to Xiao Gao, who was standing not too far away, "Give me 500 yuan."
Mr. Wang rarely carries any money with him.
She handed the 500 yuan to the deputy mayor, saying, "Please give this to the cemetery manager so they can buy some flowers to send to the martyrs who are buried here. This is just a small token of our appreciation, please don't refuse."
The deputy mayor was only thinking about quickly putting an end to their hopes and getting rid of the underground Great Wall. He wouldn't pass the buck on something like that.
He readily accepted the cash and then offered a suggestion: "Actually, there are quite a few underground projects in our country. Hunan has a rather large one called Project 6501, which was abandoned for many years and was discovered by farmers looking for their cattle."
He also made a witty remark, "When it comes to understanding mountains, humans are better than oxen."
Wang Xiao didn't really want to go to the 6501 Project site. What was so interesting about exploring a cave?
She came to Chongqing because she wanted Ivan to see with his own eyes that not everything can be achieved by trying and sacrificing.
Following the Kursk nuclear submarine disaster, Russian officials initially refused foreign assistance for fear of leaking classified information. However, after repeated failures to salvage the submarine and mounting pressure from domestic and international public opinion, the president approved accepting foreign aid.
The result was that everyone died, and the secrecy was never kept.
That's the cruelty of life: there are almost no perfect solutions, but many end up empty-handed.
Do you think it has any meaning? Apart from life and death, the meaning of most things in life is assigned by people.
But the vice mayor of Chongqing was so enthusiastic that when the management of the 6501 Project site heard that the Russian deputy prime minister was interested in visiting, they immediately responded with great enthusiasm and made arrangements to come to Chongqing to pick him up.
This put Mr. Wang in a difficult position, making him too embarrassed to even open his mouth to refuse.
She could only give Ivan a wry smile and whisper to herself, "They're treating you like a celebrity who's getting free publicity."
Project 6501 is famous for the story of "farmers finding an underground Great Wall while searching for cattle", but its fame is limited and it doesn't attract many tourists.
But if Russia's former deputy prime minister were to visit it in person, its fame as a Cold War relic would definitely skyrocket.
Ivan asked Wang Xiao earnestly, "If I go, what benefits will they get?"
“They have money,” Wang Xiao sighed. “Fame can be monetized; people will only buy tickets to see famous shows.”
Speaking of which, Project 6501 was even more unfortunate. It was the largest man-made military cave in China during the Third Front construction period. Construction began in 1965, was completely halted in 1973, cost 600 million yuan, and ultimately became an unfinished project.
The official explanation is that due to changes in the international situation and strategic adjustments, there is no longer any need to continue construction.
However, some say that the person who signed off on this project was his successor back then—yes, the famous No. 2. On September 13, 1971, he died in a plane crash in Mongolia while trying to defect. Project 6501 was halted in 1972 and completely stopped in 1973.
It's hard not to connect these two things.
After all, preparations for war and famine had not stopped in 1973, and many new air-raid shelters were being dug in various parts of the country.
Upon hearing this rumor, Wang Xiao felt even more disheartened, and even thought of a line from Maupassant's novel "The Necklace," which he had studied in high school: "How strange and how unpredictable life is! A tiny thing can ruin you or make you!"
The fate of a project is its entire life, and it is even connected to the lives of countless people involved in it.
Ivan nodded: "Then let's go take a look."
Wang was trying her best to help him; she was so devoted that he couldn't bear to let her down.
But Ivan admitted that Project 6501 did not impress him much.
This is probably because only the main passageway on the first floor and some halls are open, while the middle and lower floors and classified areas remain closed. Of course, the management's explanation is that those areas lack maintenance and it is not safe for people to go in.
Anyway, Ivan didn't feel anything after watching it.
He had seen far too many abandoned projects in Russia, on a much larger scale.
However, he still cooperated by filming a promotional video, taking photos with people, and leaving a message hoping that the friendship between the two countries would last forever.
He can still do something, even the smallest thing, so let him do it.
Wang Xiao felt really sorry for him as she watched him try so hard to cooperate.
So she gritted her teeth, stamped her foot, and set off again with her men: "Let's go, I'll take you somewhere."
This time she's going to Dujiangyan.
In October, Dujiangyan is picturesque, but what Wang Xiao is looking at is not the scenery, but life—life from nature and human life.
The management of scenic areas nowadays is very lax. Even Dujiangyan, which has a history of thousands of years, lacks the refined walking trails that have been developed over time. Only the roaring Minjiang River remains, carrying its primal wildness and untamed pride.
"When I was a teenager, I was actually very misanthropic."
Standing on the bank, looking at the surging river, she whispered to Ivan, "Back then, I hated the whole world."
She was referring to her experiences before she traveled through time. Given her life experience at that time, the reason she wasn't antisocial was because she was inherently too kind.
Ivan was unaware of this, but he sensed the intense emotions surging within the king.
Sometimes, during those extreme sports, she actually felt disgusted with life and even wanted to end it all for a moment.
To die at the height of one's glory, leaving behind only a corpse.
So he instinctively gripped Wang Xiao's hand tightly.
Her hands were so small, much smaller than his. But when she held his hand in hers, his heart would immediately feel at peace.
Wang Xiao smiled and said, "After I finished my college entrance exam, I came to Dujiangyan. Suddenly, I forgave the whole world. I even started to love humanity because people are so amazing and so great. And nature is so beautiful."
More than 2,000 years ago, without reinforced concrete and with such low social productivity, fish mouths were simply made by filling bamboo cages with pebbles.
"I even doubt whether the Sanxingdui civilization really existed. Otherwise, I don't know how to explain how they knew to use a fish-mouth-shaped structure to divide the Minjiang River in two, splitting the water 40/60, thus achieving both flood control and water diversion."
"Suddenly, I felt proud to be human. I no longer hated the world."
Ivan, who had been staring silently at the river, turned his head in surprise when he heard this sentence.
Wang Xiao said in a serious tone: "As such an intelligent human being, of course I should be proud. This world has created so many miracles and so much beauty, I can't find any reason to despise it."
Ivan curled the corners of his mouth slightly, feeling it was only natural. The strong naturally attract other strong people, and intelligent and powerful souls will appreciate each other.
So he thought for a moment and replied to her seriously, "You are the same as it, just like them."
She is like the Dujiangyan Irrigation System before us, a life of unrestrained grandeur, carrying an irresistible, surging power.
Wang Xiao smiled, took his hand, and pressed it against her face, as if sighing from the depths of her soul: "No, I always thought I would only be moved by resistance and defiance. It is those unrestrained lives, indomitable souls, and unyielding stubbornness that I can never refuse."
She kissed his palm, her gaze drifting to the fish's mouth. "But when I was 18, I suddenly realized that no, not everything has to be conquered, defeated, or forcibly suppressed, resisted, conquered, and its power extracted."
"It can be accepting and inclusive; everything can be transformed into resources, and all forces can be leveraged. It can adapt, guide, and transform; everything is within my grasp."
"If we only consider the scale of the projects, there are many more magnificent projects in world history that better demonstrate human strength and ingenuity. They are magnificent and sturdy, representing humanity's powerful overcoming of natural obstacles. However, they have all gradually disappeared in the long river of history, becoming ruins and testaments to their former greatness."
"Only Dujiangyan has stood for more than 2,000 years and can still benefit the land of abundance. Its maintenance has never been interrupted for thousands of years. This is because its existence is based on acceptance and respect for the laws of nature, rather than ignoring and suppressing them. The latter requires a powerful force to constantly fight against, while the former only needs simple maintenance to conform to the laws of nature."
"For thousands of years since its construction, through successive dynasties, it has been meticulously maintained, which is why it has been able to continue to this day. Why is it so lucky? Is it because the people who came here are more persistent and resilient than those elsewhere? So that their descendants are endless?"
"No, people in other places are also very smart and resilient. But people get tired, people become scattered, and people are like a drop in the ocean. They can't always stay together to fight against things. People have to calculate gains and losses. Dujiangyan, on the other hand, is guided by natural laws. The water distribution ratio of the Fish Mouth, the sand removal function of the Feisha Weir, and the water constriction effect of the Baopingkou are all automatically completed by the water flow, topography, and geometric structure. This makes the core function of the project independent of anyone's subjective will or continuous external power."
"What later generations uphold is not the will of their predecessors, but the channel through which the laws of nature can operate smoothly. Therefore, it constitutes an immortal contract built upon laws and interests."
She opened her arms and embraced the wind like a bird, "Look, such insignificant humans, guided by the laws of nature, have created such a great miracle."
So accept all that exists; don't forcibly deny or ignore it, or suppress it with strong will.
Don't be helpless and stand still crying in vain.
Accept it, bury it, build a monument, everything can be used for my benefit, and continue living.
————————!!————————
I'm very dissatisfied with this chapter, especially the part about Dujiangyan; I feel the words don't quite capture the meaning. But I'm just a humble human being, so I can only forgive myself. Well, that's it. I'll rewrite it, but I'm still not satisfied.
In addition, the Chongqing Underground Great Wall mentioned in the article is China's second nuclear material industrial base and the world's largest man-made cave. It was once a top state secret, codenamed "816". Construction began in 1966, was halted in 1984 due to strategic adjustments, was declassified in April 2002, and partially opened to the public as a tourist attraction in 2010. In 2019, it was rated as a national 4A-level scenic spot.
This project hollowed out an entire mountain, with a building area of approximately 104,000 square meters. The main cavern is 79.6 meters high, and it has 18 large caverns and more than 130 passageways, with a total length of over 20 kilometers, making it a veritable "underground labyrinth."
It was a top-secret project during the Third Front construction period, involving more than 60,000 people, and Baitao Town once disappeared from the map. Because it was declassified in 2002, even local officials didn't know the specifics of what happened in 2000.
Yiwanshui Martyrs' Cemetery (also known as the 816 Martyrs' Cemetery) is located in Yiwanshui, Baitao Street, Fuling District, Chongqing. It was built to commemorate the martyrs who sacrificed their lives during the construction of the 816 underground nuclear project and is a Chongqing municipal-level cultural relic protection unit. It is the final resting place of 76 martyrs, with an average age of only 21. Most of them were young officers and soldiers who died during the construction due to landslides, floods, accidents, or illness.
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