Have you ever wondered where China keeps all its troops? Military buffs were amazed by a new map that shows exactly where China''s military bases sit. The online map was constructed by a college music major who''s an army enthusiast. Wen Yueh-se of Soochow University used satellite imagery to form the detailed expose of many of China''s secret bases.

China’s third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, was launched earlier this month. Now its position is visible on an online map that reveals the whereabouts of China’s military.

A forest of icons show the location of 1,200 PLA bases, including the Zhurihe朱日和 base. That’s where China built a model of Taiwan’s Presidential Office, and even a replica of Yilan’s Suao Bay. While this map is produced to professional standards, its creator is in fact a music student. Wen Yueh-se spent a whole year on the project.

Wen Yueh-se
Soochow University music student
In 2020, I saw a Chinese military magazine had made a map of the layout of Taiwan’s armed forces. I thought, as a Taiwanese military fan, why shouldn’t we do the same thing? It might not be totally accurate, because I did make it all single-handedly. But I think it can provide a useful tool for the general public.

Wen is currently in his fourth year at the music department of Soochow University. He majors in composition, but his big hobby is the military. He made the map out of pure passion. One icon on the map – the 666 Battalion at Base 66 of the PLA Rocket Force – was pinpointed with just one vital photo. But the low resolution of satellite images caused Wen a lot of hassles along the way.

Wen Yueh-se
Soochow University music student
There’s a vast number of army bases, and very little public information. That’s one difficulty. I relied on the naked eye to spot many of them. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between schools, military bases and prisons.

Su Tzu-yun
Institute for National Defense and Security Research
I think this is very significant. By deepening the defense skills of the public, it will help to improve our defenses in resisting the aggression of authoritarian countries and threats.

The map has attracted a lot of excitement online. Although it may not be 100% accurate, it does display many of China’s secret military facilities for all to see, and hint at the extensive arsenal Beijing has amassed.