Chongqing — Once shelters that saved countless lives during the dark days of World War II, Chongqing’s air-raid shelters are now being reimagined as spaces full of life and opportunity. Farmers gather here each week to sell their produce, transforming former wartime refuges into bustling local markets. Artists and entrepreneurs breathe new life into these tunnels, opening cultural venues and bookstores that draw visitors from near and far.

This transformation speaks to Chongqing's resilience—a city that honors its past while embracing a brighter future. By preserving the memory of wartime bombings and transforming the shelters into community hubs, locals are turning history into hope and giving new meaning to old spaces.

Step inside these air-raid shelters, and you’ll find the city’s unique story: a tale of survival, rebirth, and the everyday lives of people who refuse to forget.

(Zhou Junjie, as an intern, also contributed to this report.)