Earthquake Site of Submarine Villages in Hainan

The bay from Dongzhai Harbour in the Qiongshan area of Haikou City to the Puqian Town area of Wenchang City is the land that subsided in a large earthquake during the Ming Dynasty’s Wanli Period (1605 A.D.). Approximately 100 km²of land containing 72 villages gradually subsided into the sea to a depth of 3–4 m during this earthquake, forming a rare submarine village group that lies on the beach. The remains of these villages are still vaguely visible. Basalt coffins, tombstones, wells and rice pounding stones in orderly arrangements can be seen from the sea surface. The remains of the subsided ancient ‘Ren Village’ are located 4 km north of Puqian Bay. The village’s buildings and courtyards can still be identified through the 10-m-deep water. A finely carved ‘chastity arch’ with four pillars and three arches stands on the seafloor between Puqian Bay and Beichuang Harbour. Across the floor of Dongzhai Harbour floor is the ‘Juewei Ditch’, which is an earthquake fissure that is more...