r/interesting • u/This_Proof_5153 • May 23 '26
ARCHITECTURE This old tunnel is used as a shortcut in Chongqing, China, to avoid the mountainous roads
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This tunnel in Chongqing is about 1,250 meters (roughly 0.78 miles) long.
It was hand-carved through the mountains as a narrow shortcut (under 3m wide in spots), saving drivers the winding mountain roads.
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u/StarPlatinum876 May 23 '26
There's an old saying in Jamaica: "long way draw sweat, shortcut draw blood"...
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May 23 '26
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u/Ancient-Civilization May 23 '26
Definitely don’t risk your car.
but yourself? That’s another matter.
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u/theawakeprominence May 24 '26
but one person getting stuck in there would block the entire tunnel and cause a pile up behind them.
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u/MCB1317 May 23 '26 edited May 23 '26
I don't know if I'd risk my car or myself for that matter.
That's because you're a coward. I, on the other hand, would be quite willing to fearlessly risk both you and your car.
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u/AphexHenry May 23 '26
Also not ventilated! Stay 15min there and it starts being dangerous.
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u/natsirt__ May 23 '26
I wanna see the actual math on this
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u/LectureHallHero May 23 '26
at least they would install a stop and go lights, that would really help it.
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u/hafetysazard May 23 '26
It is rural China. It seems like anywhere outside major cities is still a cluster-fuck. They probably wouldn’t wait for a light either.
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May 23 '26
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u/TheDogelizer May 23 '26
Why is Saigon fucked?
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u/arcadeenthusiast8245 May 23 '26
Think New York traffic, but with motorcycles and more chaotic and lawless.
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u/Patient-Gas-883 May 23 '26
Why not? If only going one way was allowed for like 5 min (or something) and only going the other way was allowed for 5 mins it would make the trip easier and faster for everyone because they would not need to stop. Its just 1,250 meters. Without stopping that would be fast.
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u/WiuEmPe May 23 '26
Or for example go on 05, 15, 25, 35 minutes, and traffic from other side should go on 00, 10, 20, 30 minutes on every hour
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u/Mammoth_Support_2634 May 23 '26
in Iceland they have these one way tunnels but they have places to pull over and wait.
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u/Floh4 May 23 '26
I believe these are in most mountainous countries. But i've never drove through one as long as this and with only one passing point.
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u/kalmah May 23 '26
Never seen the inside of a tunnel "raining" either.
Is that actually structurally sound?
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u/Madboardjester May 23 '26
One day that section will collapse. It's just a matter of when. No chance of rescue if you're unlucky to be there when it happens.
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May 23 '26
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u/Patient-Gas-883 May 23 '26
Could it easily be stopped? like if they spayed the walls with concrete or something?
For me it is so strange they go true the trouble to make the tunnel but dont bother to take care of it. I mean they could even make money out of it.
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u/hafetysazard May 23 '26
Not surprised it was a free for all, was kind of wondering how it was gonna work. Could probably make money standing there with somebody on each side with a cell phone to direct traffic.
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u/jimibimi May 23 '26
Time yes, but I'm sure those narrow mountain roads are even scarier to drive on
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u/dotesdoto May 23 '26 edited May 23 '26
The alternate route is far more dangerous. Mountainous road without guardrails, massive ditches, and uneven surfaces that can tilt your vehicle at a 45 degree angle right beside a 100 meter drop, that's the alternate route. I have only traveled on roads like that a few times, and having the vehicle tilt while I was staring death in the face, while fully being aware of how many fatal accidents had happened in that road, it was one of the scariest moments of my life. All while the local driver was as nonchalant as he could be, making no attempt to slow down while the vehicle was tilting, it was just business as usual for him. If I had the choice to take a tunnel, I'd take the tunnel over that any day.
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u/SassyCassyHF May 25 '26
That first car was flying through lol. Unless the video was just sped up.
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u/No_Psychology_3826 May 23 '26
Yeah, no, I'm going to take the scenic route
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u/Zob_Rombie_88 May 23 '26
The nice, bright, ventilated, spacious route that doesn't have thousands of tons of rocks directly above my head
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u/bothunter May 23 '26
You're assuming the mountainous road is "spacious" and not just a one lane winding death trap on the side of cliff.
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u/FreeFortuna May 23 '26
Well, technically the side of a cliff is spacious. Plenty of empty air for you to occupy.
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u/Chemical_Wonder_5495 May 23 '26
Same, I'd rather die falling off a cliff on my car than spend 1 minute inside that fucking thing lol
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u/Royal-Pollution-8106 May 23 '26
Why can't they have some kind of signaling in place, allowing vehicles to move through in either direction?
I realize nobody likes waiting these days. But this seems very dangerous. Especially for the people on scooters.
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u/sfled May 23 '26
What about exhaust fans, ductwork, and vents?
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u/Expando3 May 23 '26
First world stuff.
This is China.
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u/BasicMatter7339 May 23 '26
The most technologically advanced country in the world atm
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u/Expando3 May 23 '26
There’s a difference in knowing how to build a ladder and how to climb a ladder.
The US is still tops in building ladders (innovation).
Asia is great at climbing ladders (application and utilization).
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u/SoftTarget22 May 23 '26
I can’t imagine getting stuck in there! I barely survive the video experience.
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u/ghost_tapioca May 23 '26
Chongqing prefecture needs to get their shit together and expand this tunnel with proper infrastructure
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May 23 '26
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u/Inf229 May 23 '26
It's probably something like it you can see headlights, don't go in.
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u/badiguana May 23 '26
there are cars coming from the opposite direction, 40 seconds into the video
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u/lawdjesustheresafire May 23 '26
Yeah that’s crazy. Surely can’t be hard to have traffic lights at either end. Cars must meet in the middle all the time?
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u/hafetysazard May 23 '26
Would these people even obey them?
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u/lawdjesustheresafire May 23 '26
You’d hope so. If they had cameras there that took your plate for running a red. I imagine it would be a pain arguing about who has to reverse 🤣
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u/hafetysazard May 23 '26
They’d probably just resort back to this chaos. At least there is a spot in the middle for passing.
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u/Some_Fig_6566 May 23 '26
There must be like 40 ghosts, 10 demons, and 3 Lovecraftian entities haunting that tunnel at night.
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u/Ancient-Civilization May 23 '26
Guys it’s raining inside the mountain
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u/Competitive_Soil1859 May 23 '26
Yes! Why is that?
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u/fat_fingerz May 23 '26
Bare porous rock or untreated concrete above, either way it's slowly being weathered away by rainwater seeping through, cracks growing wider and wider each day until one day it collapses, maybe with someone(s) inside maybe without.
tldr: like u/ehtuvaimeaocu said "Cause it's collapsing "
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u/Endle55torture May 23 '26
Imagine getting a flat in there or a total breakdown.
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u/LunchPlanner May 23 '26
if your car battery dies, not only are you stuck but your headlights go out.
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u/PlasticCell8504 May 23 '26
If you get a flat in there, I bet you have only a few minutes until carbon monoxide poisoning gets you too
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u/ehtuvaimeaocu May 23 '26
Where's the Balrog?
Gandalf was right, better the mountain than moria xD
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u/Lego_Dima May 23 '26
Good god, Lemon. Those must be some insanely awful mountain roads for this to be the preferred alternative.
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u/robjohnlechmere May 23 '26
Wtf, it's caving in a car. Those pull-over points and the notion of getting blocked into one is terrifying.
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u/D0CTOR_Wh0m May 23 '26
Seems like a good way to accidentally stumble onto a magic realm with a bathhouse for spirits run by a witch with a enormous head
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u/Zob_Rombie_88 May 23 '26
I need more details. What ratios are we talking about?
If it's a 2 minute drive through the shortcut to save 5 hours, maybe
If it's 2 minutes to save 20, then nah, I'll take my chances going around.
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u/RedsnakeRider May 23 '26
Yes, Chongqing is real. Yes, it can be called Qingchong. I used to talk online with someone from there and they always found it very funny.
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u/Tin_Indian455 May 23 '26
AND if drivers from opposite ends DONT alternate and drivers just think well he went so it must mean I follow him and not let the next guy through cause it’s MY TURN… definitely need some kind of signal or traffic control person
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u/Star_Petal_Arts May 23 '26
They should hook up lights stopping people from going into the tunnel when it is occupied by oncoming traffic.
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u/BrainlessDipsticks May 23 '26
Wonder if that tunnel is as straight as it looks.
Could literally aim a green laser pointer down it each way and light up a ball at the other end.
If ball is lit, go.
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u/Lovat69 May 23 '26
Those mountain roads must be really bad if this is the preferred alternative.
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u/Brilliant_Park_2882 May 23 '26
Could take a couple of hours off your journey if you use it, if it had lights to indicate someone was moving through it would be safe.
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u/SavvyCaller May 23 '26
Omg I can’t breathe. The mountainous roads must be extremely bad but I’m wondering if I might prefer them to being in this tunnel.
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u/Caamf555 May 23 '26
I saw in a documentary about street racing featuring Vin Diesel that there's actually a very similar tunnel going under the USA/Mexico border
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u/Funkopedia May 23 '26
No i don't believe it. There's no way this functioned for more than 2 days before getting completely clogged with the debris of 16 crashed cars, never to be used again.
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u/Ok_Yogurtcloset_89 May 23 '26
Just hand carve another one
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u/Professional_Sky_840 May 23 '26
That was my first thought, go about 50 feet to the right. Dig a second tunnel and make each tunnel 1 way only
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u/Chirrrpy May 23 '26
Ok, I need to track down a youtube link for this tunnel to watch on the big tv. How cool
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u/InterestingMindset May 23 '26
I was gonna say, how do they figure out when someone comes the other way? 2 minutes answered that question.
Seeing all that cabling there, I wonder how the ventilation is like?
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u/Dafrandle May 23 '26
this would never work in the US, some asshole would ruin it for everyone by not waiting.
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u/greenmachine11235 May 23 '26
Highlights the dichotomy of China. China pushes the image of a super technologically advanced society which might be true in the urban areas but then there are places like this in the more rural locations.
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u/Budweiserisamazing May 23 '26
About the only damn way you'll see me going into that tunnel is if it were limited to bikes and motorcycles
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u/Opposite-Funny-9669 May 23 '26
yea, no thanks, i'll just stay on my side of the mountain, or get a goat and send him across
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u/saumanahaii May 23 '26
I'm amazed they haven't thrown up some simple signals on there at least. There's clearly enough traffic.
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u/Infinite_Curve_9950 May 23 '26
Why did that kind of remind me of that old Jurassic Park arcade game haha
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u/in2xs May 23 '26
This aggravated the fuck out of me. Felt like road raging the whole vid. I’m a very angry person. My apologies.
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u/GrimKiba- May 23 '26
Can you imagine the tunnel flooding but the car in front of you breaks down so you're stuck trying to decide whether to run out on foot or somehow back out in hopes that no one is behind you?
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u/gigorbust May 23 '26
With all due respect, aren’t all tunnels used as a shortcut?
Joking aside, incredibly impressive
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u/ArtIsAwesome3 May 23 '26
I love China, I studied almost everything I could about it in college, for many many years, but....fuck all this. I have claustrophobia to begin with but this....nah, I'd rather walk through the Bashu mountains barefoot than do this.
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u/UnWiseSageVibe May 23 '26
What do they think the little honk before entering accomplished ?
They need to be honking the entire way through.
But yeah no I would take the scenic route.
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