July 21, 1654 Earthquake: Tianshui, Gansu Province, China

July 21, 1654, Tianshui, Gansu Province, 34.3 N, 105.5 E, magnitude 8, intensity XI.

Meizoseismal region: Around Luojiabao, Qishiyu and

Mumengli of Tianshui (at the junction of Tianshui,

Xihe and Lixian Counties), hills collapsed, rivers were dammed into pools. Two hills went together and buried villages in a region of 5 km in length.

Shocks lasted for more than one year.

Tianshui: City walls and official buildings were

almost razed. More than 3,600 rooms collapsed by

shaking, numerous cave dwellings and stockades.

fell down. The Yuanzbu Temple at Lujiapo collapsed.

More than 7,400 people were killed.

Gangu: Houses collapsed, landslide occurred, and

the ground cracked. More than 3,000 people were

killed.

Wushan: Villages and forts were razed. Numerous

people were killed.

Liangdang: The ground fissured with emission of

black water. Cave dwellings and houses collapsed.

Numerous people and domestic animals were killed.

Heshui: Many houses collapsed.

Lixian, Xihe and Qing'an: City walls and battlements

fell completely. Numerous people were killed or wounded.

Tongwei: Houses were tilted or collapsed. People

and domestic animals were killed or injured. (Others

said: "More than 90 km' of waste land and the

field which were buried by shaking, as well as

5471 people who fled from earthquake or injured,

were exempted from taxation.")

Fengxian: City walls fell for more than 100 m long.

Zhuanglang: Landslide occurred and river water

overflowed. Many people were killed or injured.

Jingning: Houses collapsed and all battlements were

destroyed. Many people and domestic animals were killed.

Chengxian: Landslide occurred and the ground cracked.

Huixian: Houses and city walls collapsed. Numerous

people and domestic animals were killed.

Qingyang: City walls and houses were devastated

completely.

Huining: Houses collapsed.

Dlngxi: Houses were tilted or fell. Some people were killed.

Lanzhou, Lingtao, Pingliang and Longxi: Civilian

houses were destroyed. Some people were killed.

Huating: A cracked pagoda built in the Tang Dynasty

(618-906) got closed by shaking. (The original

record said that the pagoda was cracked by shaking

and closed again by shaking after some thirty years.)

Chongxin: Cities, forts, cave dwellings and villages were

destroyed. Many people were killed or injured.

Ningxian: Walls and houses fell completely, cave dwellings collapsed. Many people were killed.

Huanxian: City walls and houses collapsed.

Baoji: Houses were destroyed, people were killed.

Lueyang: The south watch tower was shaken. The

city walls at the southwestern part of the city fell

for more than 130 m long.

Yangxian, Chenggu, Zhengba and Ningqiang: Tiles

fell down, and walls tilted or collapsed.

Xixiang: City walls collapsed.

Lingtai: Forts, stockades and cave dwellings collapsed.

Many people were killed or injured. Numerous watch towers and shanties collapsed.

Hanzhong: City walls fell for more than 130 m long.

Meixian: Many houses collapsed.

Fufeng: The Jinfu Palace (outside the north city gate}

fell. Walls and temples collapsed. People and domestic animals were killed.

Mianxian: Tiles fell down and walls collapsed.

Lingyou: Cave dwellings and temples collapsed.

People and domestic animals were killed.

Wenxian: Walls fell by shaking. 3 persons were injured.

Xiongyi: An old pagoda formerly inclined to the east,

resumed its upright position after the earthquake.

Shangxian: Many houses were destroyed.

(above from reference #3939)