china virtual museums

Ruins after the Earthquake in Linfen (1695)

　　Date：May 18, 1695, Lunar April 6, in the 34th year under Emperor Kangxi
　　Epicenter：Linfen, Shanxi
　　Level：7 3/4 magnitude

The pagoda in Iron Buddha
Temple in Linfen, Shanx

　　Details：
　　Pingyang: the earthquake hit the four counties including Linfen, which was most destroyed. In the three counties near Fu Mountain, the city walls and houses were almost ruined completely(one story said that 40,000 houses collapsed), seven or eight out of ten people were killed or hurt(one story said that 52,600 people were killed). All the members died from the shock in some families. The ground split and springs spurted up. Cries and screams hang over day and night.

the top of the tower
in Lingguang Temple
were destroyed

　　Linfen: the city walls in the east part, turrets, mansions, temples, houses and storehouses cracked, killing 27846 people in number in and out of the city. All the members died from the shock in some families. Fires spread wide and dark water spurted out (one story said that fire came out of the earth, killing countless people and domestic animals, and later on, a flood occurred, killing more people and animals.) the gold-top pagoda in Great Cloud Temple was destroyed (which has stood over 1200 years), Temple of Emperor Yao (4km south to the city ) collapsed, the Canal Tongli (15km north to the city)cracked and the Hall of Ping River Deity (12km west to the county) was shocked down.

An inscription to the
rebuilding of Iron
Buddha Temple

　　"On April 6 under Emperor Kangxi, an intense earthquake suddenly occurred, numbers of temples and houses toppled, hurting countless people. The sounds were like thunders and hang over for years."