Death Road of China

Guoliang Tunnel, China

Guoliang Tunnel is one of the world's most popular tunnels. It's 1.2 kilometers (0.75 miles) long, 5 meters (16 feet) tall, and 4 meters (13 feet) wide, and it's situated in the Taihang Mountains of China's Henan Province. It's one of China's well-known tunnel routes. Driving on the road necessitates monk-like concentration. Locals claim that even a single blunder can spell disaster in this tiny China.

The tunnel is now a highly scenic route and a main destination on the Chinese tourism map, having become a tourist attraction since China opened its borders to foreign visitors. The tunnel is very terrifying, with 30 windows of different sizes and shapes, and it's been nicknamed "the lane that won't let you make a mistake." The majority of tunnel deaths are caused by the traveller's negligence. The tunnel is only practical for one-way traffic because it is 15 feet high and 12 feet deep. The path spares just a few feet on either side as you move through the tunnel, even with a smaller sedan.

The construction of the death road

The tunnel, carved into the side of a mountain and through it, opened to traffic on May 1, 1977. It's quite a tourist attraction, attracting a little too much unwanted attention but bringing in some much-needed revenue to the village. It was constructed over a five-year period. 4,000 hammers, 12 tons of steel, and a plethora of chisels were used. Just 13 villagers in remote China carved one of the world's most dangerous tunnels in this manner. The “Sky Ladder,” a treacherous, slippery climb even for the most nimble and sure-footed of the villagers or their uncommon company callers, was the only path to civilization for the village of Guoliang, situated high in the Taihang Mountains of Henan Province, prior to its construction in 1972. The project was started by thirteen villagers led by their leader, Shen Mingxin, but many died during construction, so the others persevered. This eerie tunnel took five years to complete.

Many tunnel roads have been cut into the mountains of China. The Guoliang Tunnel is the most well-known, but there are others that are much more risky. Kunshan Tunnel Road is the most surprising of them all. Via a series of tunnels, the road transports vehicles from 1,000 to 1,300 meters above sea level. The tunnel is 1.6 kilometers in length. It's a single piece of land with six small tunnels, and it's normally closed during the winter, so the best time to go is between May and November.

The users of dangerousroads.org have hailed this path as one of the most impressive in the world. It's just wide enough for oncoming cars to drive slowly and carefully. It's just wide enough for oncoming cars to drive slowly and carefully. The fact that the road was constructed on the path of least resistance adds to the terror. The tunnel bends, turns, and dips in unexpected directions, leaving every driver white-knuckled in fear of what could be lurking around a bend's slick blind spot.

The path remains an adrenaline-pumping adventure that is not for the faint of heart, lungs, or legs. Over 30 “windows” of various shapes and sizes overlook the gully, which were originally used to clear debris from the tunnel but now let light in. Some are small, while others are square, and they vary in size from hundreds of meters to standard-size windows. The road is treacherous, and it's much worse when it's rainy or dark (or both).

Although the views from the tunnel's "windows" are breathtaking and unforgettable, the Guoliang Tunnel Path is regarded as a "road that will not tolerate any mistakes." Although the road has yet to put motorists in danger due to its do-it-yourself design, many drivers have died as a result of carelessness and underestimating the road's complexity. Make sure you're ready to drive through this tunnel path and that you know how to handle the vehicle you're driving. Remember that even small errors can put your life in jeopardy, and instead of an unforgettable trip through the feats of local workers, you could end up in a hospital or worse.