January 3, 1739 Earthquake: Ningxia, China

January 3, 1739,

Meieoseismic regions: Earthquake effects were particularly

grave in Pingluo and the county town, but gradually weakened in villages towards the southeast of the county. The ground bulged and mounds were formed here and there. In Xinqu

and Baofeng counties, the ground opened several meters across and steaming hot water gushed out drowning villages. In Pingluo, Xinqu and Baofeng counties and Hongguangying and Pingqiangbu villages, all houses collapsed, city walls were

mostly destroyed. 50,000 officials and civilians were killed.

Yinchuan: The prefectural capital and Mancheng: (1 km northeast of the prefectural capital) were leveled to the ground (rebuilt in year 1741). Pagoda in Chengtian Temple, Haibeo Pagoda and earth towers toppled over. Daqing, Tang and Han canals and branch canals collapsed or cracked;

cutting off water flow. All temples, memorial

archways, government offices, military and civilian

houses collapsed, and the whole city was ablaze all

through the night. The foundation of the city walls

sunk several meters, and the flat ground cracked

into fissures more than 100 m long and several

centimeters to one meter wide with ejection of

yellow sand and black water. More than 15,300

people were killed in the city.

Lingwu: The prefecture city collapsed.

Zhongwei: City walls were destroyed, and most cave dwellers were killed.

Huanxian: Houses were damaged.

Yulin: City walls and temples partly collapsed, and

walls of military and civilian houses were damaged

in varying degrees. Two persons were killed.

Hengshan: More than half of the civilian houses, and city walls were destroyed, and the county offices (former site) were almost wiped out.

Qingjian: Most walls and houses collapsed.

Xi'an: Two dilapidated rooms of the southern gate

tower collapsed.

Xianyang: Five earth walls in weak houses collapsed,

and three persons were killed or injured.

Qianxian: Adobes partly fell off old walls.

Pingyao: Most houses were damaged.

The recorded felt area was very large, covering:

Wuwei, Zhengning, Jingyuan," Qingyang; Qishan,

Fengxiang, Binxian, Fugu, Zichang (former site),

Shangxian, Tongcbuan, Liquan, Yaoxian, Chengcheng,

Baishui, Dali, Suide in Shaanxi Province;

Ruicheng, Xiezhou, Baode, Anyi, Datong, Xiangyuan,

Yuanqu, Ronghe, Zhongyang, Tianzhen in

Shanxi Province; Wenxiang, Linru, Lushan.Xin

·xiang, Sishui, Huaxian, Yuanvang, Wenxian itl. Henan Province; Longyao, Nanhe and Rongcheng

in Hebei Province.

Earthquakes lasted for more than two years. Shocks

struck again in year 1741. In Mancheng, the

county offices, military buildings, walls, pillars

slightly cracked or tilted.

(above from reference #3939)