China’s First Tunnel Museum Opens in Guangzhou’s Nansha District

Located in Guangzhou’s Nansha District, China’s first professional tunnel museum opened its doors, featuring over 5,000 square meters of exhibition space and a 6,000-square-meter tunnel-themed park. Designed by China Railway Tunnel Group Co., Ltd., the facility highlights national advancements in underground engineering, heavy machinery manufacturing, and complex subsea construction technologies.

Inside China Railway Tunnel Group’s Nansha Exhibition Space

Situated at No. 2, Gongye 4th Road in the Nansha District, the Tunnel Museum offers a comprehensive look at the evolution of subsurface engineering. Visitors arriving via Guangzhou Metro Line 4 can exit at Dachong Station to explore multiple dedicated zones. These include galleries detailing the historical trajectory of Chinese tunnel development, construction methods, and active engineering equipment displays.

Guests can step into a 5D experience theater or navigate a dedicated geological disaster experience zone designed to simulate the unpredictable conditions subterranean builders face daily.

Engineering Marvels and the CREC No. 1 Legacy

The undisputed centerpiece of the indoor exhibition is “CREC” No. 1. This milestone artifact represents China’s first composite earth-pressure-balance shield machine developed with independent intellectual property rights.

Just outside the main exhibition building, the 6,000-square-meter theme park scales up the visual impact. A towering 6-meter-tall “Tunnel Hero” sculpture greets visitors, anchoring a landscape that showcases massive industrial remnants. Among them sits the colossal cutterhead used in Shenzhen’s Mawan Cross-Sea Tunnel. Measuring 15.53 meters in diameter, this steel behemoth once carved out what stood as China’s largest-diameter subsea shield tunnel.

Facility Feature	Specification / Detail
Location	No. 2, Gongye 4th Road, Nansha District, Guangzhou
Builder & Designer	China Railway Tunnel Group Co., Ltd.
Exhibition Space	5,000+ square meters indoor, 6,000-square-meter theme park
Key Artifact	15.53-meter cutterhead from the Mawan Cross-Sea Tunnel
Transit Access	Exit A, Dachong Station, Guangzhou Metro Line 4

Planning a Visit to Guangzhou’s Subterranean Showcase

Operating hours run from 10:00 to 17:00 daily, with the final admission cutoff set sharply at 16:30. Prospective visitors should note that the museum remains closed every Monday for maintenance and curation updates.

While admission to the facility is entirely free, access requires advance planning. Guests must secure their entry slots ahead of time through the official WeChat account titled “Tunnel Museum”.