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Chongqing: Baiheliang Underwater Museum & 816 Project Full-Day Private Tour
Route Number 
L001258
Departure time
every day
Small group size
12
Free cancellation
24 hours
Highlights of the Itinerary
  • World’s first underwater heritage museum: Baiheliang Underwater Museum preserves 1,200-year-old stone hydrological inscriptions at their original site 40 meters beneath the Yangtze River. Visitors descend via a dedicated escalator to an enclosed underwater corridor to admire the “underwater forest of steles” up close, experiencing a unique blend of ancient hydrological wisdom, historical calligraphy and modern heritage protection engineering.

  • World’s largest man-made cave nuclear project: The 816 Project is a once top-secret Cold War engineering marvel hidden entirely inside a mountain. With 20 kilometers of tunnels and a 79-meter-high reactor hall, this monumental Third Front Construction site showcases China’s national defense engineering achievements and the extraordinary dedication of tens of thousands of anonymous workers, delivering a deeply impactful and educational experience.

  • Dual themes of culture and industrial history: The itinerary combines two distinctive Fuling landmarks, perfectly balancing cultural heritage exploration with industrial history and national defense education. It offers both the poetic depth of Yangtze River civilization and the solemn weight of modern engineering history, creating a rich and unique travel experience.

  • Efficient same-day round trip: Departing and returning to downtown Chongqing within a single day with no overnight stay required, the tour covers two one-of-a-kind attractions in a compact schedule, ideal for travelers interested in history, engineering and culture.

  • Flexible private experience: Travel with an exclusive guide and private vehicle throughout the trip. You can freely adjust your visiting pace at each site, with professional commentary to help you fully understand the historical background and engineering significance of both attractions.


Detail
08:00 – Downtown Chongqing Pickup & Departure
Your guide and driver will meet you at your downtown Chongqing hotel lobby, then depart for Fuling District along the Yangtze River. The approximately 1.5-hour drive follows the river valley, offering gradual views of the Yangtze’s waterfront landscape.
09:30 – Baiheliang Underwater Museum
Upon arrival, visit the Baiheliang Underwater Museum, the world’s first underwater museum built on an original archaeological site, recognized by UNESCO as the world’s first non-diving underwater heritage museum.
You will first explore the ground exhibition hall to learn about the 1,200-year history of the White Crane Ridge inscriptions, known as the world’s oldest hydrological observation station. Then take a 91-meter escalator 40 meters down to the Yangtze riverbed, and walk through a 146-meter underwater viewing corridor. Through 23 observation windows, you can view the original stone inscriptions preserved in situ, including 18 carved stone fish that recorded 72 low-water years of the Yangtze, as well as calligraphy works by historical celebrities. Dubbed the “underwater forest of steles”, these inscriptions provide invaluable historical data for the study of Yangtze hydrology and global climate change.
11:30 – Local Fuling-style Lunch
Enjoy a relaxed lunch at a local river town restaurant, featuring authentic Fuling specialties such as pickled mustard tuber dishes and fresh river fish.
13:00 – 816 Project Scenic Area
Next, drive approximately 40 minutes to the 816 Project Scenic Area, China’s only declassified nuclear industry site open to the public and a landmark project of China’s Third Front Construction movement.
Codenamed “Project 816”, this top-secret underground nuclear raw material factory was built entirely inside a mountain. Construction began in 1967 and spanned 17 years, with more than 60,000 workers taking part. With a total excavation area of 104,000 square meters and over 20 kilometers of tunnels, it is the world’s largest man-made cave complex, engineered to withstand nuclear strikes.
You will walk deep into the mountain through the massive tunnel network, visiting the 79-meter-high reactor hall — as tall as a 20-story building — the giant reactor pool, and multi-level engineering chambers. Guided commentary reveals the Cold War-era history, extraordinary engineering feats and the stories of tens of thousands of anonymous workers who dedicated themselves to national defense in complete secrecy. As the facility was never put into operation, there is no nuclear radiation at the site, making it fully safe for visitors.
16:00 – Return to Downtown Chongqing
Meet your guide and driver, then begin the approximately 1.5-hour return journey to Chongqing downtown.
17:30 – Downtown Drop-off & Tour Conclusion
The tour concludes with drop-off at your hotel or a preferred central location.


08:00 – Downtown Chongqing Pickup & Departure
Your guide and driver will meet you at your downtown Chongqing hotel lobby, then depart for Fuling District along the Yangtze River. The approximately 1.5-hour drive follows the river valley, offering gradual views of the Yangtze’s waterfront landscape.
09:30 – Baiheliang Underwater Museum
Upon arrival, visit the Baiheliang Underwater Museum, the world’s first underwater museum built on an original archaeological site, recognized by UNESCO as the world’s first non-diving underwater heritage museum.
You will first explore the ground exhibition hall to learn about the 1,200-year history of the White Crane Ridge inscriptions, known as the world’s oldest hydrological observation station. Then take a 91-meter escalator 40 meters down to the Yangtze riverbed, and walk through a 146-meter underwater viewing corridor. Through 23 observation windows, you can view the original stone inscriptions preserved in situ, including 18 carved stone fish that recorded 72 low-water years of the Yangtze, as well as calligraphy works by historical celebrities. Dubbed the “underwater forest of steles”, these inscriptions provide invaluable historical data for the study of Yangtze hydrology and global climate change.
11:30 – Local Fuling-style Lunch
Enjoy a relaxed lunch at a local river town restaurant, featuring authentic Fuling specialties such as pickled mustard tuber dishes and fresh river fish.
13:00 – 816 Project Scenic Area
Next, drive approximately 40 minutes to the 816 Project Scenic Area, China’s only declassified nuclear industry site open to the public and a landmark project of China’s Third Front Construction movement.
Codenamed “Project 816”, this top-secret underground nuclear raw material factory was built entirely inside a mountain. Construction began in 1967 and spanned 17 years, with more than 60,000 workers taking part. With a total excavation area of 104,000 square meters and over 20 kilometers of tunnels, it is the world’s largest man-made cave complex, engineered to withstand nuclear strikes.
You will walk deep into the mountain through the massive tunnel network, visiting the 79-meter-high reactor hall — as tall as a 20-story building — the giant reactor pool, and multi-level engineering chambers. Guided commentary reveals the Cold War-era history, extraordinary engineering feats and the stories of tens of thousands of anonymous workers who dedicated themselves to national defense in complete secrecy. As the facility was never put into operation, there is no nuclear radiation at the site, making it fully safe for visitors.
16:00 – Return to Downtown Chongqing
Meet your guide and driver, then begin the approximately 1.5-hour return journey to Chongqing downtown.
17:30 – Downtown Drop-off & Tour Conclusion
The tour concludes with drop-off at your hotel or a preferred central location.


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Genuine Reviews
Based on 12 traveler reviews
We had an incredible time exploring Dali with Wandrift China Tour. The ancient towns, peaceful Erhai Lake and stunning snow-capped Cangshan Mountain took our breath away. Dali’s slow lifestyle, fresh air and unique local culture are absolutely charming. Every arrangement was well-organized, and our guide was friendly, professional and thoughtful. Thank you so much to Wandrift China Tour for creating such a wonderful and memorable Dali journey for our family. We truly enjoyed every moment.
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Apr 24, 2026
Luuk
We fell in love with the slow, gentle vibe of Chengdu, home to cute pandas and tasty local snacks. Chongqing amazed us with its unique mountain city views, magical night scenery and authentic hot pot. Every moment was romantic and relaxing. The local culture, warm atmosphere and delicious food made our trip perfect. It has become our most precious travel memory together.
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Apr 24, 2026
Henny
We had an amazing 8-day trip in Lijiang and Dali. Our guide Alice was excellent with fluent English, thoughtful arrangement and vivid introduction to local culture. Highly recommended!
<a href=8 Days Private Tour of Kunming - Dali - Lijiang - Shangri-La">
Apr 22, 2026
Elsa
Thanks to the tour guide Alexander for showing us the face-changing and fire-breathing of Chinese culture. There are so many fun things in Chengdu, I recommend this travel agency.
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Apr 21, 2026
Sam
Chongqing is a good city, amazing, we hiked and swung on the highest building in the city, it was so thrilling. good place to visit. I will recommend the tour company wandrift and the the contact person Liam, she is so quickly to solved any problem@LIAM
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Apr 21, 2026
Eason
Chongqing is very a good city to travel, very good!
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Apr 16, 2026
Bekcy
Chongqing is amazing! I love the night view, the spicy hot pot, and the friendly people. This magical mountain city is unforgettable. I’ll be back!
<a href=4 Days Private Tour of Chongqing - Yangtze River Cruise - Yichang">
Apr 15, 2026
LEO
Nanning is a good place to visit, Marry give us best experience in this city, the city always many fruit. recommend it.
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Apr 10, 2026
Faith
Chengdu est tellement belle, j'aime beaucoup Chengdu, c'est la première fois que je vois des pandas géants, et la ville de Chongqing est vraiment magnifique. Les différences de hauteur des bâtiments dans toute la ville me donnent l'impression d'être dans une ville du futur.
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Apr 2, 2026
MAX0921
The car is brand new. V rented it for two days: one day for a 10-hour tour in Hong Kong, and one day to take us to Shenzhen to visit and then return us to Hong Kong later that evening. NOT BAD.
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Mar 27, 2026
Max
shanghai is a good city to visit, I think it is same as New York city! there are many people from UK and USA, so many people live in here. this tour make me know the China again, I will recommend the country to retire.
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Mar 27, 2026
William
My mom and I took this 5-day Chengdu tour. She's 68 and likes temples, tea, and slow walking. This trip was made for her. First day in Chengdu, our guide Wei took us to a local teahouse where old men played mahjong and parrots whistled. Mom loved it. Next day, Leshan Buddha. The stairs down to its feet are steep, but Wei found us a boat instead. Seeing the 71-meter giant from the river, mom just kept saying "wow." Emei Mountain was the highlight. We stayed overnight at a temple near the summit. Monks chanting at dawn, mist rolling through ancient pines. Mom cried a little. "My father told me about this place when I was a little girl," she said. Wei carried our bags the whole way. Small thing, meant everything. For anyone traveling with older parents in Sichuan, book this.
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Mar 17, 2026
Sam
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