1556 Shaanxi earthquake
The 1556 Shaanxi earthquake (Postal romanization: Shensi), known in Chinese colloquially by its regnal year as the Jiajing Great Earthquake "嘉靖大地震" (Jiājìng Dàdìzhèn) or officially by its epicenter as the Hua County Earthquake "华县地震" (Huàxiàn Dìzhèn), occurred in the early morning of 23 January 1556 in Huaxian, Shaanxi during the Ming dynasty.
Map of China showing modern-day Shaanxi province (red) and the other provinces affected by the earthquake (orange) | |
| Local date | 23 January 1556 in Julian calendar 2 February 1556 in Gregorian calendar The 12th day of the 12th month of the 34th year of the Jiajing era in Chinese calendar |
|---|---|
| Local time | Early morning |
| Magnitude | 8.0 Mw |
| Depth | Unknown |
| Epicenter | 34°30′01″N 109°18′00″E |
| Areas affected | Ming dynasty |
| Max. intensity | MMI XI (Extreme) |
| Casualties |
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Most of the residents there lived in yaodongs—artificial caves in loess cliffs—which collapsed and buried alive those sleeping inside. Modern estimates put the direct deaths from the earthquake at over 100,000, while over 700,000 migrated away or died from famine and plagues, which summed up to a total loss of 830,000 people in Imperial records. It was the deadliest recorded earthquake in history, and in turn one of the deadliest natural disasters in Chinese history.