Ancient Underwater Cities

Apart from its tranquil natural scenery, the lake is also a popular diving spot for scuba enthusiasts, because below the surface lie the remains of two magnificent ancient cities: He Cheng and Shi Cheng ('Lion City' 狮城 /shrr chnng/). About These Underwater Cities Both ancient cities have been submerged for 55 years. They were not discovered until a local tourism official explored the lake's potential as a scuba diving spot in 2001. The diving crews found that the cities were intact including brick walls, wooden beams, and stairs, even after being submerged for so long. He Cheng, also called Chun'an Ancient City, was built in AD 208. It was an important town in Zhejiang in ancient times, with convenient waterway transportation and a rich culture. Shi Cheng (Lion City) was built in 621 AD, and acquired its name from nearby Wu Shi Mountain ('Five Lion Mountain' 五狮山 /woo shrr shan/), which is located just behind the city. There are many places of interest: ancient pagodas built in the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368–1911), memorial archways, City Gold Temple (城隍庙Cheng Huang Miao /chnng hwung myaou/), Five Lions Academy, and other ancient architecture. Why the Cities Are Underwater In 1959, in order to supply the electrical needs of the fast-growing city of Hangzhou, the Chinese government built the Xin'an River Hydroelectric Station. A dam was constructed, and these two ancient cities were submerged in the resulting artificial lake. Besides these two ancient cities, 27 towns, more than 1,000 villages, about 50,000 acres of farmland, and thousands of houses were left at the bottom of the lake. 290,000 people had to relocate for this project. How to Visit the Underwater Cities At present these two ancient cities have not been explored by the local tourist administration. The only way to visit the ancient cities is by diving, which can be arranged through a diving club like Big Blue Diving Shanghai.