Abstract: To meet the current demand for anti-seismic testing technology in underground engineering in China, a dynamic model container with hinged sidewalls for fault-crossing tunnels has been developed. The structures and operational principles of the model container are introduced, and a concentrated-mass model for soils, hinged sidewalls and springs is established. Using the 2-norm deviation of acceleration response as the criterion, the influences of spring stiffness on the boundary effects of the model container are analyzed. This analysis provides a process for determining the stiffness of the springs. Finally, large-scale shaking table model tests are conducted using the model container to investigate the impact range of fault interfaces on the tunnel structures under strong seismic actions. The results reveal that the boundary effects of the model container gradually diminish with an increase in the damping ratio of the model soils. With the increase in the spring stiffness, the 2-norm deviation between the model soil response and the free-field soil response, as well as the 2-norm deviation between the hinged sidewall response and the model soil response, initially decreases and then increases. The stiffness of boundary springs should be determined based on the minimum 2-norm deviation between the model soil response and the free-field soil response, following the principle of "flexible but not rigid". The results of the shaking table tests indicate that the model system can well reproduce the zonal impact characteristics of the tunnel near the fault interface. By analyzing the overall bending moment and axial force distribution characteristics along the longitudinal direction of the tunnel, the impact range of the fault interface on the tunnel is determined to be 4B (hanging wall) and 5B (fracture zone). The findings enrich the seismic testing technology for the tunnels in high-intensity seismic zones in China, providing valuable references for shaking table tests in underground engineering.