No. 136

Shicheng (Lion City)

Where

Qiandao Lake, China

Built by

Han through Ming dynasties

Era

200s-1600s CE

Known for

Carved stone gates intact 85 to 130 feet down.

How it went under

Flooded on purpose for a dam in 1959.

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Background

Shicheng (Chinese: 狮城; pinyin: Shī Chéng; lit. 'Lion City') is an ancient underwater city situated under Qiandao Lake in Chun'an County, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, and was previously the county seat of the defunct Sui'an County (Chinese: 遂安县). The city was flooded for the purpose of industrialization by the Chinese government in the year 1959 when a decision was made to construct a hydroelectric dam for the province of Zhejiang, forming Qiandao Lake. Evidence suggests that the lost city was inhabited for centuries, but it is now primarily used as an underwater tourist attraction by tourists and diving experts.

Shicheng's name means 'Lion City', in reference to the nearby Wu Shi Mountain (Five Lion Mountain).

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.