Beneath the serene surface of Qiandao Lake in Zhejiang Province, China, lie the mysterious remnants of two ancient submerged cities, dating back to the Han and Tang dynasties.
One of these underwater marvels is Shi Cheng, commonly known as the ‘Lion City’ in Chinese. Once a bustling ancient metropolis, it now lies submerged beneath the depths of Qiandao Lake. In 1959, as part of a national industrialization initiative, the Chinese Government made the decision to flood the area to construct a hydroelectric dam, leading to the inundation of this remarkable urban landscape.
Qiandao Lake, also referred to as Thousand Island Lake, spans across an expansive freshwater area of 573 square kilometers, owing its name to the presence of over a thousand islands within its boundaries. Evidence suggests that the lost city was inhabited for centuries, though it is now primarily utilized as an underwater tourist destination by visitors and diving enthusiasts. The appellation ‘Lion City’ was derived from the nearby Wu Shi Mountain situated in Qiandao Lake.
Decades ago, the valley in Zhejiang province (China) was turned into Tiandao Lake to serve the Thuan An River hydroelectric dam project. As a result, Su Thanh, once the political and economic center of the region, was submerged in water at a depth of 25-40 m. After a time of quietly disappearing, the existence of the more than 1,400-year-old citadel once again attracted the world’s attention when archaeologists discovered this place in 2001. Since then, Su Thanh has been nicknamed “the legend” Eastern Atlantis”, according to the Daily Mail.
Shi Cheng was submerged in the water with the purpose of creating space for a hydroelectric dam by order of the government. About 300,000 people have been displaced from their existing living areas to serve this project. They are former residents connected to the Lion City on the basis of ancestry and culture.
Shi Cheng is arguably China’s most prominent city that is still well preserved. Many of its houses, temple structures and paved roads have been preserved at a depth of 40 meters underwater. In this way, it was protected from the harmful effects of wind, rain and sun. It is believed that the city of Shi Cheng was built during the Tang Dynasty in AD 621, almost 1,400 years old. Based on the historical records of the area, it is said to be quite large, possibly over 60 areas of public activity and there are 265 large buildings throughout the city.
The special thing about this city is that it was built with 5 gates and towers, contrary to the norm of 4. Many experts believe that it was originally named He Cheng which is believed to date back even further. from the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-200 AD).
The city has five entrance gates, different from the traditional four. The stone structure dates back to the Ming and Qing dynasties. The streets of Shi Cheng also have 265 archways with surviving stone works dating to 1777, and city walls dating back to the 16th century. The Chinese government has planned for it. an expedition to discover what was left of this lost ancient metropolis in 2001, when the city was rediscovered. In 2011, paintings and graphics published by the National Geographic of China attracted the interest of the public and researchers to explore.
Early divers found Shi Cheng largely intact, with many of the structures, carvings, guardian lions and domes still preserved. Divers and researchers have worked hard to map and profile Shi Cheng, as well as consider protective measures to prevent damage to it. Accordingly it has been declared a historical site under the protection of Zhejiang province.
It is known that Lion City was submerged under water when Chinese planners carried out the project to build Tan An dam in 1959. And to attract tourists, they are planning to turn this place into a destination. tourist attraction. From Shanghai it is about 400 km to the small town of Dashuzhen near the southwestern edge of the lake, about 6-7 hours by car. It actually takes only 4 hours to reach the eastern edge of Qiandao Lake, however, you still need to navigate the winding local roads around the lake (some of which are still under construction) to get there. hotel in Dashuzhen.
According to Our World magazine: “Sucheng has been decided to become an underwater tourist destination. With special submarines with a height of 3.8m, a length of 23m and a capacity of 48 passengers worth 6 million USD (about 126 billion VND), everyone can visit the underwater city.”
According to National Geographic, when diving to a depth of 28m, the light can no longer shine here. Lights equipped for divers are only capable of illuminating about 2 meters. However, they discovered that despite being located at a depth of 26-40m at the bottom of the lake, this structure is almost intact, not much damaged, even the wooden beams and stairs are still intact. whole.