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The world’s interest in Shicheng arose when it was “rediscovered” in 2001.
There is a city in China that that is submerged under water and is a remnant of the country’s imperial past. The city of Shicheng, in Zhejiang province, was intentionally flooded in 1959 to make way for the Xin’an hydroelectric dam and remained “forgotten” for decades, according to National Geographic. It lies 40 metres below the surface of Qiandao Lake and is a world frozen in time. National Geographic said nearly 300,000 people were relocated at the time of its flooding.
The world’s interest in Shicheng arose when it was “rediscovered” in 2001 when the Chinese government sent an expedition to see what remained of the 600-year-old city.
Watch the video of the underwater city:
The BBC said it has stone architecture dating to the Ming and Qing dynasties (which ruled from 1368 to 1912). Shicheng is often referred to as the “Lion City” due to its proximity to the Wu Shi Mountain (which in Mandarin means “Five Lion Mountain”).
In 2011, National Geographic published some never-seen-before photos of the underwater city, which measured about half a square kilometre. These photos and other expeditions revealed that the city had five entrance gates. The wide streets had 265 archways, featuring preserved stonework of lions, dragons, phoenixes and historical inscriptions, some of which date back as far as 1777.
Despite being underwater, the city is well preserved, which is why it is also called “Atlantis of the East”. The water actually protects it from wind, rain and sun erosion.
Today, it is possible to visit the hidden world but expeditions are allowed only for those people who have proven experience in diving, especially in deep water.
The site hasn’t been fully mapped yet and is thus considered unsafe for inexperienced tourists.
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