List of earthquakes in China

This is a list of earthquakes in China, part of the series of lists of disasters in China. Earthquakes in the Loess plateau where residents lived in yaodong caves tended to have big casualties, including the 1303 Hongdong and 1920 Haiyuan earthquakes. The most recent earthquake with a death toll of more than a thousand was the 2010 Yushu earthquake, which killed 2,968.

The collision of India with the rest of Asia has led to seismic activity throughout Western China, particularly in Tibet and the Yunnan, Xinjiang, Sichuan, Gansu and Qinghai provinces. However, these regions in comparison with Eastern China have a low population density. These areas also in general have poorer transport and building codes. Throughout China, poor building codes increases the damage and loss of life from earthquakes. The northern regions of Eastern China are not as seismically active as the western areas of the country, but earthquakes are still possible in this area.

Earthquake prediction was popular between 1966 and 1976, which overlapped with the Cultural Revolution. This reached its height with the successful prediction of the 1975 Haicheng earthquake. This earthquake had a prominent series of foreshocks and authorities who were eager to issue a warning. However very few earthquakes have both these criteria. The unpredictable and devastating 1976 Tangshan earthquake led to a reduction in the popularity of earthquake prediction in China.

Earthquakes Date ArticleCoordLocationMagDeathsDescription c. 1920 BC Jishi Gorge outburst flood Qinghai / Gansu 512-05-21 512 Shaanxi earthquake Dai County, Shaanxi 7.5 5,310 (estimate) 1038-01-09 1038 Dingxiang earthquake Dingxiang County, Shaanxi 7.25 32,300 1290-09-27 1290 Zhili earthquake Ningcheng County, Inner Mongolia 6.8 100,000 1303-09-25 1303 Hongdong earthquake Shaanxi 8.0 270,000 Taiyuan and Pingyang were leveled. 1337-09-08 1337 Huailai earthquake Hebei, Beijing 6.5 . 1536-03-20 1536 Xichang earthquake Sichuan 7.5 thousands 1556-01-23 1556 Shaanxi earthquake Shaanxi 8.0 - 8.3 100,000+ Population decreased by additional 730,000 due to emigration, plagues, and famine. 1604-12-29 1604 Quanzhou earthquake Fujian 8.0 - 8.3 Unknown Largest earthquake in southern China 1605-07-13 1605 Guangdong earthquake Guangdong 7.5 several thousand 1622-10-25 1622 North Guyuan earthquake Ningxia 7.2 12,000 1626-06-28 1626 Lingqiu earthquake Shaanxi 7.0 >5,200 1668-07-25 1668 Tancheng earthquake Tancheng County, Shandong 8.5 50,000 Largest seismic event ever recorded in history in eastern China.Zhou, C., Diao, G., Geng, J. et al. Fault plane parameters of Tancheng M8½ earthquake on the basis of present-day seismological data. Earthq Sci 23, 567–576 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11589-010-0756-0 1679-09-02 1679 Sanhe-Pinggu earthquake Hebei, Beijing 8.0 45,500 1695-05-18 1695 Linfen earthquake Linfen 7.8 52,600 1709-10-14 1709 Zhongwei earthquake Ningxia 7.5 2,032 1718-06-19 1718 Tongwei–Gansu earthquake Gansu 7.5 75,000 1733-08-02 1733 Dongchuan earthquake Yunnan 7.75 thousands 1738-12-23 1738 Dangjiang earthquake Qinghai 7.6 336 1739-01-04 1739 Yinchuan–Pingluo earthquake Ningxia 8.0 50,000 1786-06-01 1786 Kangding-Luding earthquakeSchuster, R.L. and G. F. Wieczorek, "Landslide triggers and types" in Landslides: Proceedings of the First European Conference on Landslides 2002 A.A. Balkema Publishers. p.66 Sichuan 7.75 100,000+ The earthquake triggered a landslide that formed an artificial mud dam which blocked the Dadu River. Ten days later, this dam was breached resulting in a catastrophic mudslide flooding event. 1815-10-23 1815 Pinglu earthquake Shanxi 6.8 13,000 1830-11-10 1830 Cixian earthquake Hebei 7.4 7,477 1833-09-06 1833 Kunming earthquake Yunnan 8.0 6,000 1850-09-12 1850 Xichang earthquake Sichuan 7.6–7.9 20,650 1870-04-11 1870 Batang earthquake Sichuan 7.3 5,000 1879-07-01 1879 Gansu earthquake Gansu 8.0 Ms 22,000 1902-08-22 1902 Turkestan earthquake Xinjiang 7.7 2,500-20,000 1906-12-22 1906 Manasi earthquake Xinjiang 8.0 280 1912-12-21 1913 Eshan earthquake Eshan, Yunnan 6.8 942+ 1918-02-13 1918 Shantou earthquake Shantou, Guangdong 7.2 1,000+ 1920-12-16 1920 Haiyuan earthquake Haiyuan County, Ningxia 7.8 ML 265,000 1923-03-24 1923 Renda earthquake Luhuo County, Sichuan 7.0 Ms 4,800 1925-03-16 1925 Dali earthquake Dali, Yunnan 7.0 Ms 5,000 1927-05-23 1927 Gulang earthquake Gulang County, Gansu 7.6 40,900 1931-08-10 1931 Fuyun earthquakeMagnitude 8 and Greater Earthquakes Since 1900 by USGS.gov . Retrieved 7 June 2013. Fuyun County, Xinjiang 8.0 10,000 Retrieved 30 January 2016 1932-12-25 1932 Changma earthquake Gansu 7.6 Ms 275 1933-08-25 1933 Diexi earthquake Mao County, Sichuan 7.5 MS 9,000 1937-07-31 1937 Heze earthquakes Mudan District, Shandong 6.9 MS 3,252+ 1950-08-15 1950 Assam–Tibet earthquake Zayü County, Tibet 8.6 4,000 Largest seismic event ever recorded in China and largest known seismic event on land. 3,300 deaths in Chinese-claimed territories 1952-08-18 1952 Damxung earthquake Damxung, Tibet 7.5 54 1955-04-14 1955 Kangding earthquake Sichuan 7.1 1955-09-23 1955 Yuzha earthquake Yunnan 6.8 MS 728 1966-03-08 1966 Xingtai earthquakes Hebei 6.8 Mw 8,064 1969-07-26 1969 Yangjiang earthquake Yangjiang, Guangdong 6.4 3,000 1970-01-04 1970 Tonghai earthquake Tonghai County, Yunnan 7.1 15,621 1973-02-06 1973 Luhuo earthquake Luhuo County, Sichuan 7.5 MS 2,175 1974-05-10 1974 Zhaotong earthquake Zhaotong, Yunnan 6.8 20,000 1975-02-04 1975 Haicheng earthquake Haicheng, Liaoning 7.4 Mw 2,041 one of the few earthquakes to be successfully predicted throughout history 1976-05-29 1976 Longling earthquake Yunnan 6.9 MS7.0 MS 98 Doublet earthquake 1976-07-27 1976 Tangshan earthquake Tangshan, Hebei 7.5 300,000+ Deadliest earthquake in Chinese history. Among the top disasters in China by death toll. 1976-08-16 1976 Songpan-Pingwu earthquake Sichuan 7.2 MS 41 Earthquake swarm 1981-01-23 1981 Dawu earthquake Sichuan 6.8 ML 150 1988-11-06 1988 Lancang–Gengma earthquakes Yunnan 7.6 7.2 939 Occurred near the border with Shan State, Myanmar. Doublet earthquake 1990-04-26 1990 Gonghe earthquake Qinghai 7.0 MS 126 1996-02-03 1996 Lijiang earthquake Yunnan 7.0 MS 309 2000-01-14 2000 Yunnan earthquake Yunnan 5.9 7 2001-02-23 2001 Sichuan earthquake Sichuan 5.6 3 2001-11-14 2001 Kunlun earthquake Qinghai 7.8 0 2003-02-24 2003 Bachu earthquake Maralbexi (Bachu) County, Xinjiang 6.3 261 2003-12-01 2003 Zhaosu earthquake Zhaosu County, Xinjiang 6.0 10 2005-11-26 2005 Ruichang earthquake Ruichang, Jiangxi 5.2 14 2006-07-22 2006 Yanjin earthquake Yunnan 5.2 22 Moderate damage 2008-05-12 2008 Sichuan earthquake Wenchuan County, Sichuan 7.9 87,587 18th deadliest earthquake of all time 2008-08-21 2008 Yingjiang earthquakes Yunnan 6.0 5 2008-08-30 2008 Panzhihua earthquake Sichuan 5.7 41 2008-10-06 2008 Damxung earthquake Damxung County, Tibet 6.4 10 2010-04-14 2010 Yushu earthquake Yushu, Qinghai 6.9 2,698 270 missing 2011-03-10 2011 Yunnan earthquake Yunnan 5.4 26 2012-09-07 2012 Yunnan earthquakes Yiliang County, Yunnan 5.6 81 2013-03-03 2013 Yunnan earthquakes Dali, Yunnan 5.5 02,500 houses were damaged 2013-04-20 2013 Ya'an earthquake Lushan County, Sichuan 6.9 196 21 missing 2013-07-22 2013 Dingxi earthquake Min County, Gansu 5.9 95 Magnitude M(s)6.6 according to CENC. 2013-08-31 2013 Yunnan earthquake Deqen, Yunnan 5.8 5 2014-05-24 2014 Yingjiang earthquake Yingjiang County, Yunnan 5.6 0 9,412 homes were destroyed. 2014-08-03 2014 Ludian earthquake Ludian County, Yunnan 6.1 617 112 missing 2017-08-082017 Jiuzhaigou earthquake Jiuzhaigou County, Sichuan6.5 29Landslides 2019-06-172019 Sichuan earthquake Changning County, Sichuan5.8 1320,000 houses were damaged 2020-01-192020 Kashgar earthquake Jiashi County, Xinjiang6.0 12 injured, 1,000 houses damaged 2020-05-182020 Qiaojia earthquake Qiaojia County, Yunnan5.1 424 injured, extensive damage 2021-05-212021 Dali earthquake Dali, Yunnan6.1 332 injured, 12,882 houses damaged 2021-05-222021 Maduo earthquake Madoi, Qinghai7.3 2019 people injured (official), 20 dead 300 injured (unofficial)2021-08-162021 Luxian earthquake Lu, Sichuan5.4 3146 injured, 60,000 evacuated2022-01-072022 Menyuan earthquakeMenyuan, Qinghai6.6 0Limited damage, 9 injured 2022-06-012022 Ya'an earthquakeLushan County, Sichuan5.9 42022-09-052022 Luding earthquake Kangding, Sichuan6.6 9330 missing, 423 injured2023-12-182023 Jishishan earthquakeJishishan, Gansu5.9 151982 injured2024-01-222024 Uqturpan earthquakeUqturpan County, Xinjiang7.0 374 injured2025-01-072025 Tibet earthquakeTingri County, Shigatse7.1 126351 injured2026-05-182026 Liuzhou earthquakesLiuzhou, Guangxi5.1 26 injured Note: The inclusion criteria for adding events are based on WikiProject Earthquakes' notability guideline that was developed for stand alone articles. The principles described also apply to lists. In summary, only damaging, injurious, or deadly events should be recorded. = Richter scale = Moment magnitude = Body wave magnitude = Surface-wave magnitude

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See also List of disasters in China by death toll Geology of China List of earthquakes in Sichuan List of earthquakes in Taiwan List of earthquakes in Yunnan

References