August 9, 1792 Earthquake: Jiayi, Tainan, Taiwan
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Jiayi, Tainan, Taiwan on August 9, 1792. It killed 252 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
- August 9, 1792
- Place
- Jiayi, Tainan, Taiwan
- Magnitude
- 6.8 (Ms)
- Intensity
- 9 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 23.600° N, 120.500° E
- Country
- Taiwan
The toll
- Deaths
- 252
- Injuries
- 432
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million)
- Houses destroyed
- 14,889
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.
August 9, 1792, Jiayi, Taiwan Province, 23.6 N, 120.5 E, magnitude 6.75, intensity IX.
Some governmental and military offices, storehouses, arsenals and military camps were destroyed. 80% of the civilian houses around the north, east and west gates and 40% around the south gate were destroyed. Altogether more than 14,400 rooms in tile-roofed houses, 438 thatched cottages and 131 military camps collapsed. 252 people were killed and 432 injured. The villages near mountains suffered more seriously than those along the coast.
Water surged up tens of meters in Luermen. The ground sank in a room in Damaobeipu. The field warped forming a pool. In Meizikeng Hill, the ground fractured with one person falling in, and then closed again.
Zhanghua: 60% of the governmental and military offices, military camps and civilian houses collapsed. In the town and countrysides, 9,700 rooms in tile roofed houses, 507 thatched cottages and 178 rooms in military camps collapsed altogether. 358 people were killed and 349 injured.
Tainan: 54 rooms of civilian houses collapsed. A pavilion in Xinjle of Xixuanfang was destroyed. Some walls in the city and at Anping were damaged. 3 persons were killed or injured.
Gaoxiong: All the houses in the city and countrysides remained undamaged, except for 3 rooms in military camps and 2 shops in Agongdian. 8 thatched cottages in Aligang township collapsed, killing one person.
Penghu: Civilian houses collapsed killing some persons.
The earthquake also struck Danshui.
(above from ref #3939)
1792 Aug 09, 23.6 N 120.6 E, magnitude 7 (reference #10200)
1792 Aug 09, 23.6 N 120.5 E, magnitude 6.75, intensity 9 (reference #549)
1792 Aug 09, 23.6 N 120.5 E, magnitude 6.75, intensity 9. Earthquakes were reported in Tainan , Fengshan , Jiayi and Zhanghua. Though not very strong, they caused serious damage. (reference #12991)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- May 22, 1782, Tainan, Taiwan
- April 20, 1935, Mialoi, Taiwan
- July 16, 1935, Xiinzhu, Taiwan
- September 20, 1999, Nantou, Taichung, Taizhong, Taiwan
- June 6, 1862, Tainan, Taiwan
- 1721, Tainan, Taiwan
- March 16, 1906, Jiayi, Taiwan
- December 3, 1848, Zhanghua, Taiwan
- February 1845, Zhanghua, Taiwan
- December 16, 1941, Taiwan
- January 30, 1736, Tainan, Taiwan
- August 28, 1916, Taiwan
- November 5, 1904, Jiayi, Taiwan
- June 27, 1839, Jiayi, Taiwan
- February 5, 2016, Tainan, Taiwan
More
Significant earthquakes of 1792The 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 1516.