October 31, 1720 Earthquake: Tainan, Taiwan
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck Tainan, Taiwan on October 31, 1720.
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
- October 31, 1720
- Place
- Tainan, Taiwan
- Magnitude
- 5.5 (Ms)
- Intensity
- 7 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 20.300° N, 120.300° E
- Country
- Taiwan
The toll
- Deaths
- Many (about 101 to 1,000)
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Few (about 1 to 50)
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.
October 31, 1720, Tainan, Taiwan Province, 23, 120.3 E, magnitude 5.5, intensity VII. Houses were damaged, and a lot of lives were lost. (reference #3939)
November 1, 1720, Tainan Taiwan. (reference #1002)
November 1, 1720, Formosa (Tainan), intensity III which corresponds to an earthquake which destroyed towns and devastated districts. (reference #1055)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- July 26, 2019, Itbayat, Batanes, Philippines
- December 26, 2006, Pingtung, Taiwan
- November 13, 2006, Taiwan Region
- June 7, 1987, Philippines
- September 13, 1918, Ivana,sabtan,san Vicente, Batanes, Philippines
- July 16, 2000, Basco, Mount Irada, Batan Islands, Philippines
- September 30, 1970, Basco, Sabtang, Batan Islands, Philippines
- March 8, 1892, Batan Island,san Domingo, Philippines
More
Significant earthquakes of 1720The 1700sRecent 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 7962.