Underwater City in China Makes Waves
By Penny on Feb 28, 2014
Rendering by Chinese National Geography
Lion City, the ancient city of Shicheng, China has been buried under 85 to 131 feet of water for over 50 years. Located in the depths of Thousand Island Lake (Qiandao Lake), the lost city remains miraculously preserved (dating back 1,300 years), giving archeologists new insight on what life in ancient China was like.
Photo via Chinese National Geography
As pictures reveal, elaborate stone carvings of guardian lions, white temples, paved roads and houses are just some of the beautiful hidden treasures etched into the stone and wood structures that remain practically unchanged by aquatic sea life. According to international archeologists, the underwater city got its name because of the nearby Five Lion Mountain. The city was a part of the Zhejiang province, containing six main stone streets connecting every corner of the city; an expanse that covers 265 acres of ruins (a size comparable to 62 football fields).
Artist's interpretation of Lion City via Chinese National Geography
What archeologists are referring to as China’s ‘Atlantis’, is buried beneath beautiful man-made islands that are linked and scattered across incredibly clear, turquoise waters. Residents travel between islands via cable cars which travel above water through thick forests. The man-made lake and islands were created by setting up a dam which drowned the entire valley after the Chinese government decided a new hydroelectric power station was required. Lion City is said to have been an important political centre for China, but approximately 290,000 people were forced to leave their homes for the flooding.
Photo by trasyy
“We were lucky. As soon as we dived into the lake, we found the outside wall of the town and even picked up a brick to prove it,” said Qiu Feng, a local in charge of tourism and leader of a Chinese exploration team. The city was able to remain remarkably preserved, according to experts, because it was protected from wind, rain and the sun and thus has been branded a ‘time capsule’ that has been submerged and unvisited since 1959. The discovery of this great city has led to several exploration missions from archeologists worldwide and several restoration attempts for tourist exploration.
Photo via National Chinese Geography
Since 2001, there has been an intense reaction from tourists who visit Monkey, Snake, Lock and the other surrounding islands, admiring the populous scenery, but most impressive of all, is the underwater streets of this mysterious city, which are accessible to tourists through Big Blue orchestrated dive operations.
