This Chinese Lake Looks Perfectly Normal Until You See The Ancient City Hidden Below
Not more than 300 kilometers from the east coast of China, in Zhejiang province, sits Qiandao Lake.
Known for its clear, sometimes drinkable water and manifold of lush, white sand islands, it is truly a picturesque place. But something far more special lies beneath its surface - the ancient city of Shicheng, or, as travelers like to call it, the "Atlantis of the East."
At 40 meters below sea level, the stone architecture of the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1912) stands, preserved to perfection under Qiandao Lake.
Shicheng (which is Mandarin for Lion City) was flooded intentionally in 1959. They did this in order to move forward with construction of the Xin'an Dam and its accompanying hydroelectric station. Nearly 300,000 people were required to relocate and some of them had a lineage in this city that spanned centuries.