The recuperation area covers approximately 217 pings and is located on the lower eastern plateau of the Ankang Reception House. It served as the detention space for detainees. To move between the work area and the recuperation area , detainees had to "descend" a staircase in Room 114 of the work area and pass through an underground passage. This unique spatial design led many detainees to mistakenly believe they were being held in a basement, resulting in lasting impressions of the Ankang Reception House as a "dark dungeons" or "cells within a caves."
The building features a double-cruciform layout. Conditions within the cells were harsh, equipped only with a raised bed platform for resting and sleeping. Each cell also contained a squat toilet, meaning both bathing and hygiene needs were addressed within the cell; detainees were only occasionally permitted to use the external shower room. The cells were similarly equipped with sound-absorbing panels and surveillance equipment, along with a spotlight that remained lit 24 hours a day. This prevented detainees from distinguishing between day and night, inducing a profound sense of disorientation.
Transparent hemispherical surveillance windows were installed on the cell doors. Made of acrylic and designed as a convex lens, these allowed guards to monitor all movements inside the room from the outside at any time, leaving no blind spots. Such designs ensured that even after interrogations ended and detainees returned to their cells, they remained in a high-pressure psychological state, unable to find relief from their intense anxiety.
