Xiyagou's spectacular exit: Shanxi village tunneled its way to the world

But where? There was no natural route. And so they decided to tunnel through solid rock, winding a course through the mountain itself. They would burrow their escape route up through the face of one of the canyon’s precipitous cliffs to the outside world. Work began. With no modern equipment, villagers used hammers and picks alone. They were acquainted with using such tools to break rocks in their fields, but unfamiliar with engineering.

Nonetheless, the project was well planned. To improve efficiency, 17 individuals and families were each assigned a stretch of the road, boring a hole first into the face of the cliff and then extending the road out to the left and right. The quarried rock could then be thrown down the cliff from these holes — holes that were to become effective windows overlooking the villagers' home canyon upon completion.

That completion was not to come for well over a generation. In 1991, the sections finally joined up in the rough-hewn, 7.5-kilometer-long serpentine route through the rock, and reached the summit. Xiyagou had, at last, made its exit — spectacularly — from its canyon enclave to the outside world. The survival and increasing prosperity of the village was assured.

To travel through the tunnel is an unnerving experience, looking through the seventeen families' "windows" and down the precipitous cliff face to their home valley far below. In fact, the route is considered so dangerous that it is normally only be used by locals. Tourists, for their safety, are restricted to official tour coaches.

A more relaxing entry to Xiyagou — which is worth a visit for its scenic beauty, tranquility and history — is now possible through a new tunnel provided by the government with the use of modern techniques. But to miss the tunnel built by the villagers themselves over 30 years of taxing, dangerous labor would be to miss the very soul of Xiyagou. It bears testimony to their to their dedication to a dream.