By IANS,
Beijing : An abandoned nuclear plant in China, built inside an artificial cave that can withstand earthquakes, has been opened as a tourist attraction, a media report said Monday.
Construction of the 816 Nuclear Military Plant, once a secret site in the mountainous town of Baitao in Chongqing province, began in 1966, but China’s military commission called off the project in 1984 because the world situation was relatively peaceful at the time.
The cave was designed in such a way that it could withstand thousands of tonnes of explosives and 8-magnitude earthquakes.
Over 60,000 soldiers were involved in the construction of the plant, which has now been thrown open only for domestic tourists.
“To build the nuclear plant into a tourist attraction featuring national defence education is significant. During their visits there, tourists can learn about nuclear power,” Li Tingyong, director of the Fuling Tourism Bureau, was quoted as saying by People’s Daily.