September 2, 1679 Earthquake: Hebei Province, China

September 2, 1679, Sanhe and Pinggu, Hebei Province, 40.0 N, 117 E, magnitude 8, intensity XI.

The earthquake-stricken area extended from Shengyang

of Liaoning Province in the east, to Anyang of Henan Province in the west, covering several thousand kilometres with Sanhe and Pinggu suffering the most.

Sanhe: Few city walls and buildings remained, only fifty-five and a half rooms were left. In Liuhetun, about 15 km to the west of the county seat, the ground cracked and sank about 1 m; in Dongwnli to the northwest the southeastern side sank about 2 m; in Pangezhuang to the north the southern side sank more than 3 m. In the whole

region ground fissures occurred everywhere with ejection of black water. 2,677 people were killed. Aftershocks occurred several times a month or once every other day, for 9 months up to the recording date.

Pinggu: The city walls, villages, buildings, pagodas and temples were completely razed. To the east of the county seat, mountains avalanched and sank at many places. The areas from Shuiynzhuang to Haizi and from Xinkaiyn to Panshan ofJizen in the southeast of Pinggu County avalanched and sank most seriously. A brick well was titled, in the

south of Daxinzhai, 3.5 km to the northwest of the county seat. The ground fissured about 3 m with ejection of black sand and water. Only 30-40% of the people survived.

Tongxian: More than 10,000 people were killed.

Jixian: Many people and domestic animals

were killed.

Wuqing: Many people were killed.

Beijing: Official buildings, civilian houses, palaces,

temples and guild halls were hit with 12,793 rooms

of houses ruined and 18,028 damaged. The ground

cracked open for dozens of meters. Beneath Deshengmen

Gate a big ditch opened with water springing out. The death toll was 485.

Zhuoxian: A great number of people died.

(above from reference #3939)