Shicheng () is an

ancient Ancient history is a time period from the History of writing, beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian language, Sumerian c ...

underwater city situated under

Qiandao Lake Qiandao Lake (), a human-made, freshwater lake located in Chun'an County, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, was formed after the completion of the Qiantang River, Xin'an River Hydroelectricity, hydroelectric station in 1959. Geography 1,078 ...

Chun'an County () is a Counties of China, county of Zhejiang, Zhejiang Province, East China, East China, it is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang, containing the well-known Qiandao Lake and bordering Anhui ...

Hangzhou Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the province, sitting at the head of Hangzhou Bay, whi ...

Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiang ...

Province, China, and was the previous county of the defunct Sui'an County (). The city was flooded for the purpose of

industrialization Industrialisation ( alternatively spelled industrialization) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive re-organisation of an econo ...

by the

Chinese government The Government of the People's Republic of China () is an authoritarian political system in the People's Republic of China under the exclusive political leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It consists of legislative, executive, mili ...

in the year 1959 after a hydroelectric dam was required for the province of Zhejiang. According to the evidence found, the lost city was inhabited for centuries, but is now primarily used as an underwater

tourist attraction A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural b ...

by tourists and diving experts. Shicheng was named the 'Lion City' after the nearby Wu Shi Mountain (Five Lion Mountain) in the Qiandao Lake.

Origins and discovery

Shicheng was purposely flooded to create space for a

hydroelectric dam Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...

on government orders. Approximately 300,000 people were relocated as a result of the project. The former residents were connected with the Lion City by basis of ancestry and culture. Shī Chéng was believed to be the most prominent Chinese city that remains well-preserved. Many of its homes, temples structures and paved roads were preserved by being 131 feet underwater. In this way, it was protected from wind, rain and sun damage. The city has five entrance gates, which is different than the traditional four. The stone architecture dates to the

Ming The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

and

Qing dynasties The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speaki ...

. Shī Chéng's streets contain 265 archways with surviving stonework that date to 1777, and the

city walls A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...

date to the 16th century. The

planned an expedition to explore the remains of the lost metropolis in 2001, when the city was rediscovered. In 2011, pictures and graphics were published by the

Chinese National Geography ''Chinese National Geography'' () is a Chinese monthly magazine similar to the ''National Geographic Magazine''. Founded in 1949 in China, the magazine has revamped itself several times, and is now a popular magazine in mainland China. There is ...

, which sparked interest among the general public and researchers to explore.

Tourism

Diving to Shicheng has been limited to divers with experience with diving during night and in deep water.

References

{{reflist Submerged places Underwater ruins Ancient Chinese cities Chun'an County History of Hangzhou