The base, built in 1958, is located in the northwestern province of Qinghai, covering an area of 1,100 square km (425 square miles). China's first atomic and hydrogen bombs were constructed there, the site closed in 1987.
"The base will become a key tourist facility, and will be transformed into a site to foster and maintain the patriotic spirit of the Chinese nation," Zuo Xumin, an official from the local government, said.
The headquarters of the nuclear facility consists of several rooms and is located at a depth of 9.3 m (30.5 feet) and protected by reinforced concrete.
Tourists will be allowed to visit all these rooms - a research laboratory, control center, electricity generation and communication rooms.
A museum is to be opened at the base soon, which will display old telegraph and telephone equipment, household items and clothes that belonged to the first base employees. Hotels and restaurants are being built near the base.
China tested its first atomic bomb in 1964 and its first hydrogen bomb three years later.
