The Underground City, hidden under most of Beijing, is a relic from the Cold War Era and the 1950s/1960s tensions between China and the Soviet Union.

Once a secret air-raid shelter network expected to protect 40% of the Beijing Public inside underground Tunnels from a devastating nuclear attack, it fell into disuse after the late 1970s. Designed and built to house as many as 300,000 people, Beijing’s Underground City was capable of sheltering 40% of Beijing's population then. Equipped with housing, hospitals, food storage, clean water facilities and even a cinema, they would sit underground for up to 4 months to ride out the effects of nuclear or chemical attacks.

After the Cultural Revolution and with the advent of modernity in China, it was soon forgotten by most Beijingers and remained a site virtually unknown to the Cities Citizens until at least the year 2000 AD. Meanwhile, it was a modest tourist attraction, only popular with Foreign Tourists.

Beijing Underground City can be found in the Chongwen District and has been open to the Public since the early 1970s. Currently it is a popular tourist attraction.

The Underground City has been refurbished, apparently to please the huge stream of incoming Chinese Tourists. With internal tourism booming in China, masses of provincial Chinese are now touring their own country. As a result of this mass of tour groups, many if not all Chinese Tourists sites are now far less pleasant and interesting to visit. On main tourists days such as the October National Holiday one can forget about Photography of Sites.