Scuba diving in a superb spot near Shanghai
Just a few hours’ drive from Shanghai, in China’s Zhejiang province, lies Lake Qiandao, also known as the Lake of a Thousand Islands. It is in fact the artificial result of a dam built by the Chinese in September 1959, to construct a hydroelectric station on the Xin’an River. The lake is dotted with 1,078 large islands and several thousand smaller ones scattered across its surface.
This place has been famous for years, because in 1959, the ancient city of Shi Cheng was flooded and then submerged, and today lies between 26 and 40 meters below sea level. The city of He Cheng can also be found here. At the foot of Wu Shi Mountain (or « Mountain of the Five Lions ») lies the underwater City of Lions, Shi Cheng. The city was built during the Eastern Han dynasty (and He Cheng during the Tang dynasty), two millennia ago (between 25 and 200 BC).
The city, which has remained untouched until now, is a delight for divers who come from all over the world to dive on this exceptional site. Diving has only been possible here since 2001. In 2005, the local tourism department discovered three new sunken cities.
The Chinese government is currently seeking solutions to submerge theseAtlantis-like cities, but it appears that operations are costly and dragging on. So if you’re enchanted by diving in superb sites, don’t hesitate to find out more. You could be one of the last divers to explore Shi Cheng.
All photos courtesy of China National Geographic magazine via www.animalworld.com.ua.
If you’re interested in diving here, check out this video of divers heading to the Shi Cheng spot on Qiandao Lake.