The content of this article is written with authoritative sources, and the source and screenshots of the literature have been marked at the end of the article, please be aware.
Summer Adventure: An Unexpected Start
In the summer of the 80s, Uncle Li from Hunan led his buffalo to graze in the mountains as usual. As the sun gradually rises, the temperature in the mountains begins to climb. The summer sun was so hot that there was not a single cloud in the sky, only the fiery red sun shining unhindered on the earth.
At noon, Uncle Li felt the scorching sun and decided to find a place to rest. He found a dense wood, where large trees flourished and thick layers of leaves formed a wide shady area. Uncle Lee picked a large tree with a trunk thick enough to provide ample shade. He tethered the buffalo to the tree, and the buffalo seemed to feel the temporary comfort, bowed its head and began to nibble on the grass around it.
When he felt that everything was settled, Uncle Lee spread out an old cloth in the shade of a tree and lay down to rest. The surroundings are peaceful, with the occasional distant birdsong and the breeze blowing the leaves.
When Uncle Lee woke up from a short break, the first thing he did was look towards the place where the buffalo was being tethered. To his surprise, there was nothing there, and the buffalo was gone.
The search through the jungle
Uncle Lee quickly rose from his cloth and anxiously searched the surrounding dense hillsides and jungle for his buffalo. He took a closer look as he walked, hoping to spot a spot of buffalo in dense vegetation or hidden corners.
He skirted a huge rock and crossed a small stream, the water of which was cool and murmuring, and the mud on the bank left the footprints of various animals, but not the large, obvious hoof prints of the buffalo. He called out the buffalo's name, the sound echoing through the trees, but the only response was the occasional birdsong in the distance. As time passed, Uncle Lee felt the accumulation of exhaustion and anxiety, and with each step, the mood to hope for the buffalo diminished. He was on the verge of giving up on the seemingly hopeless search.
However, at this moment, his eyes were suddenly drawn to a scene in front of him. An overgrown cave mouth appeared not far away, and the surrounding vegetation was much higher than the surrounding environment, making it look extraordinarily dense. The entrance to this cave is partially hidden by weeds and creepers, making it almost impossible to spot without a close look.
Uncle Li approached the cave, and saw that the entrance of the cave was entangled with all kinds of weeds and vines, which seemed mysterious and alluring. He stopped, and gently pushed away the branches and leaves that stood in front of him with his hand, trying to see the inside of the cave. The hole is not large, but large enough for an adult to bend down to enter. It was pitch black and impossible to see, only a faint light shining through the hole, barely able to see some stones and dirt on the ground.
Uncle Lee stood in front of the entrance to the cave and felt a cool breeze blow from the cave, carrying with it a natural smell of dampness and earth. He stared at the unknown darkness, and though he hesitated, the thought of the buffalo that might find him inside made him determined to go in and investigate.
Into the Unknown: The Discovery of a Mysterious Cave
Uncle Lee carefully walked through the narrow entrance of the cave, only to see the rocks protruding from all sides, and from time to time he needed to use his hands to stabilize his body to avoid tripping over the abrupt stones. As he went deeper, the cave gradually became wider and the ceiling gradually raised, allowing him to walk upright without having to bend over.
After a period of progress, the cave suddenly opens up, revealing a large underground space. Uncle Li stopped, and the beam of the flashlight was projected in front of him, illuminating a huge space with an area of tens of thousands of square meters and a height equivalent to a two- or three-story building. The natural form of the rock above the roof and the unevenness caused by erosion create a spectacular natural ceiling, while the ground is relatively flat, with parts covered by stagnant water, reflecting light, making it particularly mysterious.
On the rock walls around the cave, you can see the traces formed by the erosion of the water flow over the years, showing a peculiar wavy texture. Between these rock faces, Uncle Lee noticed some bizarre structures laid on the ground – all of which were clearly unnaturally formed artificial structures. He approached to inspect and found that the facilities included some old machinery and building materials covered in a thick layer of dust and cobwebs, indicating that they had been abandoned for a long time.
While exploring the machines, he found that most of them were heavily rusted, and that some of the metal surfaces had been eroded by time and moisture, but he could still identify some functions that might have been used for excavation or transportation. The floor is littered with broken wooden supports and steel components that may have been used to support the work inside the cave.
Uncle Lee continued to move through the vast space, making every step look extremely careful. The beam of the flashlight explores the path ahead, and the contrast between light and darkness makes every corner full of unknowns. These artificial signs inside the cave make the scene even more anomalous, once a secret location off the beaten track, but now a corner forgotten by time.
As he continued to explore, the space inside the cave seemed endless, with each corner and passage potentially hiding more unknown secrets. Uncle Lee came to realize that the scale and design of the place was much larger than he had originally anticipated, and that it was clear that it had carried some important function or purpose. Although he came here to find the missing buffalo, this accidental discovery of the underground space undoubtedly aroused his great curiosity.
Uncover the secrets: the truth about military engineering
After returning to the village, Uncle Li could not suppress the surprise in his heart, and he truthfully told the villagers what he had found in the cave. At first, his words caused a lot of confusion and surprise. The villagers gathered to discuss the truth of the story, and many were incredulous that there was such a huge man-made space hidden in the mountain. They asked Uncle Li to lead the way the next day and go to the cave to find out for himself.
The next day, just after dawn, a dozen villagers had gathered, each with the necessary equipment: flashlights, ropes, and even improvised protective equipment such as helmets and gloves. The group followed Uncle Li to the entrance of the cave, and they were in different moods preparing to enter this mysterious underground space.
As they progressed deeper into the cave, the villagers' doubts were gradually replaced by surprise. The space inside the cave is far beyond their imagination, the complex structure and huge scale make everyone who enters involuntarily slow down, they use flashlights to illuminate the surroundings, and every corner of the cave seems so new. The villagers, led by Uncle Lee, carefully explored all the way, constantly exclaiming.
During the exploration, some villagers noticed building materials and equipment scattered on the ground, which apparently had some value. Some villagers suggested that perhaps government staff could be called in to deal with the discovery. However, this proposal was quickly rejected. Because they realised that these materials and equipment, if used wisely, could bring a windfall to the village.
Eventually, the villagers came to a consensus: to keep the secret for the time being, and to plan to quietly ship the materials out in several batches for sale. Over the next few weeks, they took advantage of the darkness of the night to transport building materials and some relatively intact equipment out of the cave in batches and quietly sell them to the market.
However, it didn't take long for the sudden appearance on the market of a large number of building materials of unexplained origin to attract the attention of the local government. Government authorities quickly launched an investigation to try to pinpoint the source of the materials. Eventually, this series of clues led the government to discover the existence of the "6501" project. After an in-depth investigation, the government was shocked to learn that this underground space was actually a top-secret military base approved by the Central Military Commission in 1965, and due to historical reasons, this base has been mothballed to this day.
The purpose and function of this clandestine project, based on the information and testimonies gathered, is primarily to provide a safe place for material storage and personnel in the event of a possible military conflict. The scale of the project is huge, involving engineers in many professional fields and a large number of laborers, and hundreds of millions of yuan in military expenditure.
According to the recollections of some workers who have been involved in the project, the construction of the project required extremely high technical standards and safety measures. Some of the technologies used in the project were at the advanced level in China at that time, such as the use of special concrete, waterproof and shockproof treatment of large underground structures, etc. However, with the easing of Sino-US relations in the 70s of the 20th century, the external threats faced by the country weakened, and the strategic significance of these secret military bases decreased.
The mystery of the legacy and the changes of the times
With the easing of Sino-US relations in the 70s of the 20th century, global military tensions began to gradually decrease. In this general environment, some military facilities that were originally prepared for the Cold War, such as the secret military bases represented by the "6501" project, have also begun to lose their original strategic significance. These facilities were built with enormous resources and manpower in order to guarantee the security of the country in the event of a potential conflict. However, as external threats decreased, the presence of these underground bases became unnecessary.
Against this background, the government decided to deactivate and mothballize a number of military bases, including "6501". When these bases were first established, they operated with a very high level of secrecy and security standards. They are mostly located in remote areas, away from regular lines of communication, to ensure safety and concealment in wartime.
According to later disclosed information, Project "6501" was used as a reserve base for war fuel. In this huge underground space, a large number of oil drums and other strategic materials were once stored. These fuel drums are neatly arranged and clearly marked, ready to be quickly called in case of an emergency. In addition to fuel, there are also a number of other military supplies stockpiled here, such as food, medical supplies, and spare military equipment, to ensure the continued operation of the base in a lockdown state.
Most of the time, these stockpiles are not used, and are only turned and inspected during exercises or inspections. With the decommissioning of the base, these supplies were gradually forgotten. During the sealing process, the entrance to the base was tightly sealed, and the access to the outside world was collapsed or sealed with concrete, ensuring that no one could easily enter.
As time went on, the previously well-maintained facility began to fall into disuse due to lack of maintenance. Cables and pipelines gradually age, and some non-structural components begin to corrode or be damaged by natural forces. The humidity and temperature difference in the cave accelerated the aging process of equipment and materials, the steel began to rust, and the wooden structure began to decay.
Although the "6501" project once met a high standard in terms of technology and construction, neglect and environmental factors over the years have gradually degraded all this high-tech equipment and well-designed facilities into a forgotten underground world. Places that were originally used to ensure national security eventually become part of the dust of history, and only be revisited by chance discoveries.
References:[1]Fu Qiang. Sinopec,2016,0(8):50-52