January 8, 1725 Earthquake: Songming, Yiliang, Yunnan Province, China
A magnitude 6 earthquake struck Songming, Yiliang, Yunnan Province, China on January 8, 1725. It killed 614 people.
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
- January 8, 1725
- Place
- Songming, Yiliang, Yunnan Province, China
- Magnitude
- 6 (Ms)
- Intensity
- 8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 25.100° N, 103.100° E
- Country
- China
The toll
- Deaths
- 614
- Injuries
- 184
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Many (101 to 1,000)
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.
January 8, 1725, between Songmlng and Yiliang, Yunnan Province, 25.1 N, 103.1 E, magnitude 6, intensity VIII.
Songming: In Yanlln, Guandu and Jlnmali, many
houses collapsed, 194 people were killed and 35
injured.
Yiliang: In Tangchi, Beitun, the south and north
Baitupo, more than 300 people were killed and 17
injured.
Xundian: In Chenshitun of Longfenli, 53 people
were killed and 37 injured.
Lunan: In Minghe Village, 22 people were killed
and 20 injured.
Heyang (Chengjiang): In Ohaodlan and Yangzongli,
45 people were killed and 75 injured.
The shock also struck Kunming and Chenggong.
(above from reference #3939)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- January 4, 1970, Hanoi, Yunnan Province, Vietnam, China
- 1499, Yi Liang, Yunnan Province, China
- January 4, 1500, Yiliang, Yunnan Province, China
- September 6, 1833, Yunnan Province, China
- September 9, 1680, Yunnan Province, China
- February 26, 1713, S of Xundian, Yunnan Province, China
- August 27, 1799, Yunnan Province, China
- December 16, 1887, Yunnan Province, China
- November 30, 1606, Jianshui, Yunnan Province, China
- December 30, 1763, Yunnan Province, China
- December 21, 1913, Yunnan Province, China
- November 24, 1814, Siping, Yunnan Province, China
- January 27, 1755, Yunnan Province, China
- April 6, 1940, Yunnan Province, China
- May 23, 1761, Yunnan Province, China
More
Significant earthquakes of 1725The 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 1233.