March 26, 1520 Earthquake: Weishan, Yunnan, China
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck Weishan, Yunnan, China on March 26, 1520.
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
- March 26, 1520
- Place
- Weishan, Yunnan, China
- Magnitude
- 5.5 (Ms)
- Intensity
- 7 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 25.300° N, 100.300° E
- Country
- China
The toll
- Deaths
- Many (about 101 to 1,000)
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
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.
March 26, 1520, Weishan, Yunnan Province, 25.3 N, 100.3 E, magnitude 5.5, intensity VII.
Shocks occurred in Menghua for two days. City walls
and houses collapsed. Some civilians were killed.
Shocks occurred in Binchuan, Yao'an, Heqing, Dali
and Anning prefectures.
Note: Menghua is the present-day Weishan County.
(above from reference #3939)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- March 16, 1925, Talifu, Yunnan Province, China
- July 13, 1652, Midu, Yunnan Province, China
- September 9, 1680, Yunnan Province, China
- May 25, 1751, Yunnan Province, China
- October 23, 1515, Dali, Yunnan Province, China
- June 14, 1688, Yunnan Province, China
- March 13, 1577, Tengchong, Yunnan, China
- February 23, 1839, Yunnan Province, China
- June 27, 1948, Yunnan Province, China
- February 7, 1839, Yunnan Province, China
- June 17, 1515, Heqing, Yunnan Province, China
- August 30, 2008, Sichuan Province, China
- April 2, 1586, Weishan, Yunnan Province, China
- July 21, 2003, Yunnan Province, China
- October 14, 1925, Yunnan Province, China
More
Significant earthquakes of 1520The 1500sRecent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
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 691.