1057 Earthquake: Beijing, China
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Beijing, China in 1057. It killed 25,000 people.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- 1057
- Place
- Beijing, China
- Magnitude
- 6.8 (Ms)
- Intensity
- 9 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 39.700° N, 116.300° E
- Country
- China
The toll
- Deaths
- 25,000
- Damage
- Extreme (about $25 million or more)
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
1057, southern suburbs of Beijing, 39.7 N, 116.3 E, magnitude 6.75, intensity IX.
Earth shocked violently in Beijing. City walls were
badly destroyed and several ten thousand people were killed. The Jiege Pavilion in Daminzhong Temple (the present day Favuan Temple) outside the Xuanwu Gate in Beijing collapsed.
Note: According to Wu Xing Ziti in the History of the
Song Dynasty. "Earthquakes occurred at Xiangzhou and Bazhou prefectures on March 24, 1057. Government relieved the people in stricken areas of Hebei on April 8, and sent
officials to console the victims after repeated shocks in Hebel." This passage is probably related to this shock. Epicenter uncertain.
(above from reference #3939)
Reference #1052 lists 1057, Hopeh, 39.5 N, 116.3 E, magnitude 6.75, intensity IX.
Reference #1051 lists 1057, Gulf of Bohau Wan, 25,000 killed.
Reference #1055 lists March-April 1057, China (Chibli), Yuchou, Husinngehou in Paoting Fu and Pachou in Shuntien Fu, intensity III which corresponds to an earthquake which destroyed towns and devastated districts.
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- July 27, 1976, Tangshan, NE, China
- September 2, 1679, Hebei Province, China
- August 1289, Beijing, China
- June 28, 1626, Shanxi Province, China
- September 30, 1730, Beijing, China
- September 294, Beijing, China
- December 2, 1882, Hebei Province, China
- March 1621, Hebei Province, China
- February 3, 1658, Hebei Province, China
- January 29, 1484, Beijing, China
- September 8, 1337, Huailai, Hebei, China
- July 12, 1720, Hebei Province, China
- December 31, 1956, Hebei Province, China
- August 14, 1068, Cangzhou, Hejian, Hebei Province, China
- March 27, 1967, Hejian, Dacheng, Hebei Province, China
More
Significant earthquakes of 1057The 1000sRecent earthquakes near here
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 344.