Motorists driving through the Qinling Zhongnanshan Tunnel in central China spend about 15 minutes travelling beneath one of the country’s most formidable mountain ranges. Stretching 18.02 kilometres through the Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi Province, the twin-bore highway tunnel transformed what was once a slow, winding mountain crossing into a journey that takes less than an hour between Xi’an and Zhashui. But what surprises many first-time drivers isn’t just the tunnel’s length. Every few kilometres, the grey concrete suddenly gives way to glowing blue skies, white clouds and colourful lighting effects projected across the ceiling, creating the illusion that motorists have briefly emerged into daylight before disappearing underground again. The unusual feature was never intended as decoration. Engineers designed the “artificial sky” to break up the monotony of an exceptionally long underground drive, helping reduce visual fatigue, ease driver anxiety and improve road safety. According to the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Transport , construction began in 2001, the tunnel opened to traffic in January 2007, and each bore measures 18.02 kilometres, making it one of the world’s longest twin-bore highway tunnels at the time of its completion.
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