May 18, 1695 Earthquake: Linfen, Shanxi Province, China

May 18, 1695, near Linfen, Shanxi Province, 36 N, 111.5 E, magnitude 8, intensity X.

The earthquake occurred at Pingyang. Linfen, Xiangling, Hongtong and Fushan were badly hit, especially Linfen and Xiangling. Almost all the city walls and houses were destroyed, seven-tenths of the inhabitants were killed or

injured. Raging fires and black water plagued the disaster areas. Shocks kept on for years.

Linfen: All city walls, offices, temples, pavilions, towers, kiosks, steles, ditches, warehouses and civilian houses collapsed. In the city and in the countryside, tens of thousands of people were killed. The disaster was most serious in the county seat and outside the east gate.

Xiangling: In the northeast of the county town, the city

wall collapsed hundreds of metres long, gate towers

and battlements were wiped out. Almost all schools,

offices, temples, memorial archways, warehouses

and civilian houses were devastated. Innumerable

people were killed.

Fushan: City walls, county offices and temples collapsed, and half of civilian houses were wrecked. Tens of thousand people were killed, and the survivors had to stay in the open. Houses near the south city gate completely collapsed.

Hongtong: The ground opened and water gushed out.

Gate towers were destroyed. Half of offices, temples and civilian houses fell down. Many people were killed.

Zhaocheng: The county town was damaged.

Anze (former site): Houses collapsed, innumerable people and domestic animals were killed. Dongchi Village was even worse affected.

Yicheng: Offices, temples and houses collapsed or were damaged, the Ximen Bridge fell in, and gate towers and battlements compeletly collapsed. Many people were killed.

Quwo: The county town was damaged. A pagoda on Taijian Hill fell down. Temples were destroyed.

Jiangxian: Three gates of the county town collapsed.

Funds were allotted to the poor people to repair their houses.

Fencheng: The Drum-tower collapsed, houses lay in

ruins. The land was draped in a veil of dust. Some people were killed.

Wanquan (former site): Many battlements and houses were damaged.

Yongji: The shock destroyed the military office.

Weinan: Walls were damaged.

Yuanqu: Many houses were destroyed.

Qinshui: The Confucian Temple was damaged, and

battlements collapsed.

Jincheng: Battlements were wrecked.

Lucheng: Most gate towers, city walls and houses were damaged.

Gaoping: Most battlements and houses were damaged.

Qinxian and Wuxiang: Some houses collapsed.

Jiexiu: Battlements collapsed at 254 places.

Xiaoyi: The walls and houses were damaged.

Pingyao: Most houses were damaged.

Qinyuan: Some people were killed.

Jingle: The west city gate collapsed.

Yonghe: City walls were damaged, houses gave no more

shelter from wind and rain.

Shilou: Houses collapsed, more than 2000 people were

injured in the city and countryside.

Xixian : The gate towers and buildings around mostly collapsed, innumerable houses and cave dwellings were damaged, some people and domestic animals were injured.

Yangcheng, Lingchuan and 'I'aiyuan: The governments

granted relief fund to victims in stricken areas.

Qinyang: the eastern and the western gate towers were destroyed.

Wenxian: Some walls and houses were damaged.

Huojia: Houses were damaged, and water in ponds gushed out.

Yanjin: Battlements collapsed dozens of meters long, and dozens of rooms were destroyed.

Tangyin: Some houses were damaged.

Junxian: The eastern and the western gate towers were damaged.

Luoyang: Most house walls were destroyed.

Reference #1052 lists May 18, 1695, Shansi, 36 N, 11.5 E, magnitude 8, intensity X.