December 16, 1920 Earthquake: Gansu Province, Shanxi Province, China

Name: December 16, 1920 Earthquake: Gansu Province, Shanxi Province, China
Start: 1920-12-16
Location: Gansu Province, Shanxi Province, China

December 16, 1920 · M8.3 · 235,502 deaths · $25 million

A magnitude 8.3 earthquake struck Gansu Province, Shanxi Province, China on December 16, 1920 at 12:05:54 UTC, 25 km below the surface. It killed 235,502 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: December 16, 1920
Time: 12:05:54 UTC
Place: Gansu Province, Shanxi Province, China
Magnitude: 8.3 (Mw)
Focal depth: 25 km (16 mi)
Intensity: 12 on the Modified Mercalli scale
Tsunami: Yes: the tsunami it caused
Epicenter: 36.601° N, 105.317° E
Country: China

The toll

Deaths: 235,502
Damage: $25 million

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.

1920, Dec 16, 1920, 20:05:53 Beijing time. Haiyuan, Ningxia Autonomous Region, 36.7 N, 104.9 E, depth 17 km, magnitude 8.5, intensity XII.

In the eastern area of Mt. Liupan, many villages and towns were buried. At some places, the ground was turned into high mounds or deep valleys, mountains avalanched, the ground cracked, black water overflowed, and 4 cities were completely devastated. More than 200,000 people were killed in the whole region.

The fracture zone, about 200 km long, begins at Lijunbao, Haiyuan, in the southeast, passes through Xiaojiawan, Xi'anzhou and Ganyanchi, and ends at Jintai

Deaths by City CityPeopleDomestic AnimalsHaiyuan73,02741,638Xiji36 Guyuan30,00060,000Jingning9,00037,986Huining13,942 Tongwei10,00029,246Longde20,00050,000Qjn'an10,00030,000Tianshui2,400 Ningxian4,00010,000Gangu1,36525,141Qingyang2,40526,000Heshui7003,000Dingxi4,2006,000Jingyuan (Gansu)12,800 Jingchuan730369Huanxian3,00075,000Lixian901,200Qinshui3341,649Lingwu300700Jinji10,00022,000Zhongwai7001,000Zhuanglang1,0005,000Longxi7,00010,000Xihe4,00015,000Lingtai1,0007,000Yuzhong9001,200Lingtan (Xincheng, Taozhou)9001,000Lintao7001,000Zhangxian6203,000Minxian7002,000Liangdang7005,000Yinpin7002,000Wushan322884Longxian700 Fengxiang2,3533,342Zhenyuan3,0053,904Chongxin9002,000Pingliang2,000 Yinchuan7001,000Lanzhou3,0007,000Ningsuo500 Linxia1,0002,500Pinluo3001,000(above ref #3939)

1920, Dec. 16. Magnitude 7.8 Mw. (ref #1314)

1920, Dec 16, NE Kansu, magnitude 8.6, 180,000 deaths. (ref #1002)

1920, Dec 16. Kansu earthquake and landslide, 100,000 deaths, $25 million damage (ref #1051)

1920, Dec 16, 12:05:48 UTC. magnitude 8.6. (ref #1006)

1920, Dec 16, 12:05:48 UTC. magnitude 8.6 MS. (ref #88)

1920, Dec 16, 12:05:48 UTC, magnitude 8.5 MS. (ref #130)

1920, Dec 16, 12:05:54.68 UTC. 36.601 N, 105.317 E, magnitude 8.6 MS, 8.3 Mw. (ref #9910)

1920, Dec 16, 12:05:55.42 UTC. 36.888 N, 105.606 E, magnitude 8.3 Mw. (ref #10476)

1920, Dec 16, magnitude 8.5 Ms, 235,502 deaths. (ref #14034)

180,000 deaths, 25 million damage (ref #1250)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

Significant earthquakes of 1920 The 1900s Every quake the USGS located in 1920 Recent earthquakes near here This 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 3165.