Shi Cheng

But the underwater city caught the popular imagination when the Chinese National Geographic covered the story. It produced illustrations depicting what Shicheng may have looked like hundreds of years before. The present administration is now mapping the submerged city and the dive operations are considered "exploratory" in nature. Only divers with deep water, night diving and buoyancy experience are allowed to explore the city at present. However, what was once a lost city has been re-discovered. Shicheng is being actively promoted a tourist destination for scuba divers.

Though man-made, Lake Qiandao is a pure lake because it gets oxygen from the thick forest canopy on the islands. It has pristine waters that are drinkable. Many of the islands have their own tourist attractions such as "heaven pool", "admiration mountain", "honey mountain" and an abandoned quarry site dating back to the Southern Song Dynasty A thorough study showed that the area has 1, species of plants including woody plants. The lakeside is also home to species of wild flowers and 18 species of protected plants.

The forests of the lake provide an ideal habitat for various wild animals native to the region. People can see peacocks, snakes, monkeys and even ostriches. The lake abounds with fish and is surrounded by fruit trees. Visitors can also go grass-skiing and take boat rides. Shicheng lay blissfully underwater for more than 50 years, its architecture, including the wooden structures and its streets protected from both human and natural elements.

Now, it has been found and is being subjected to human activity.

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With best intentions and in the name of progress, Shicheng is being promoted as an underwater museum, but authorities need to preserve the city at the same time. Some experts suggested pumping water out of the city and building another protective wall, but it was deemed costly and the waters would not be able sustain the water pressure outside. In fact, two loose wooden beams, after being removed and exposed to air, began to shrink, proving that water preserves the wood better.

However, it was later known that local laws did not permit submarines to operate in inland waters and there are no rules to regulate civil submarines. Even if it had been approved, the strong water flows from the underwater vehicle may damage the buildings.

Shi Cheng City, An Underwater Time Vessel

It was actually only 4 hours to reach the eastern edge of Qiandao Lake, however, you will still needed to navigate the local winding roads around the lake some of which were still under construction to reach the hotel in Dashuzhen. Members of the club were the first to rediscover the underwater city in Dashuzhen is a small and remote town with a handful of local shops and vendors.

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We stayed at a small hotel that was just minutes by van to the dive staging area and boat dock. So if you choose to dive Qiandao Lake, be aware that you will not find any 4-star hotels near the dive sites. It should also be noted that most of your food options while in Dashuzhen would be traditional Chinese dishes, prepared from fresh, locally farmed ingredients. This will undoubtedly thrill some people, while less adventurous eaters may have a tougher time. Because this is a lake dive, it is important to understand the differences between the conditions encountered here vs.

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All divers were required to do an initial checkout dive in the lagoon, which only reached around 25ft in depth. Visibility at the surface was 5ft at best, dropping down to a mere 6 inches in some places at the bottom of the lagoon. This quickly made us realize how quickly the visibility could deteriorate, how easily you could become separated from your guide and how disorienting the conditions could become. If any group members had lapses in buoyancy or improper kicking technique that disturbed the sediment at the ruins, the dive could be completely destroyed for everyone.

Panoramic view of the calm waters of the lagoon at Qiandao Lake where we conducted our check out dive. The dive boat can hold divers and was docked in the lagoon near the dive staging area where we prepped our gear and suited up. Bathrooms and showers are located at the staging area as well.

The Lion City dive sites are about 10 minutes by boat from the dock, and we dove as a group of 3 with our guide. The lake itself becomes dark very quickly as you descend, and dive lights are mandatory as it essentially becomes a night dive as you near the ruins, which lie between 85 — ft below.

Your first glimpse of the ruins of Lion City will take your breath away. Clear structures appear out of the dark waters as you approach with your lights. Thankfully the visibility at the ruins was much better than in the lagoon, topping out around feet. The beautiful city structures rise above you, covered with extensive carvings. Lion City Shi Cheng has been submerged in Qiandao Lake for over 50 years since the building of the Xin'anjiang Reservoir and Xin'an River hydroelectric station in Another close up view of the ruins.

Remarkable detail considering Lion City dates back nearly years to the Tang Dynasty. Free from the damages of sun, wind and rain, the lake has preserved the ruins relatively free of growth and intact. Panels and carvings cover nearly the entire surface of this Lion City wall. While it can be easy to stay fixated only on the animal carvings in the city, Chinese characters can also be seen carved into the walls, giving further context to the city.

Another section of intricate carvings and Chinese characters on the city walls. As we explored further, you could see some of the ruins have begun to topple over time. Our guide getting a close up look at some of the looser stones from city structures. Both stone and wooden structures are visible at the ruins. The water actually preserves the wood quite well. Some wooden beams that were recovered from Lion City during earlier dive expeditions quickly became damaged as they dried and shrank in the air.

Interspersed amongst the structures, it was eerie to see the remnants of the trees that used to line the city when it was above water. Generally, April — October are the recommended months to visit, as there is warmer weather at the lake, and hopefully warmer water below the thermocline. The colder air temperatures Nov — March can make it uncomfortable for divers to do 3 dives in a day, particularly those diving in wetsuits.

Depending on the time of year, the water temperature can range from F C. During my visit in early May, the air temperature was in the upper 70s to low 80s, with the surface water temperature in the low 70s — quite manageable upon entry. For exposure protection, those diving wet first got into 3mm full wetsuits, and then had to contort themselves to get another 7mm wetsuit over it for 10mm in neoprene total, plus gloves and hoods. Even with that protection, several of the divers chose to cut their dives short either due directly to the cold temperature, or because they were consuming their air more quickly than usual from being cold while in the water.

I dove in a drysuit with similar undergarment layers to what I would wear in Southern California waters, and did not have any issues with the cold water temperature during the dives. Treat this like a night dive and bring lights, lights, and more lights. There is almost zero ambient light when you reach the ruins down at feet.

Just keep in mind that if you choose to shoot wide-angle, you will be fighting with the sediment in the water and limited visibility of no more than feet, so it can be difficult to get a shot without any backscatter.

Diving into Egyptian History: She has a passion for diving with sharks and exploring unusual sites, and can often be found in California waters while plotting her next dive adventure abroad. Click, or call the team at for expert advice! Bluewater Travel is your full-service scuba travel agency. Let our expert advisers plan and book your next dive vacation. Run by divers, for divers. Skip to Main Content Area.

Welcome to the Underwater Photography Guide! Aerial view of Qiandao Lake. Photo by Chinese National Geography.

Getting There

Getting There There are very few dive operators running trips to Qiandao Lake. Qiandao Lake on Google Maps. At the Lake Dashuzhen is a small and remote town with a handful of local shops and vendors. The Dives Because this is a lake dive, it is important to understand the differences between the conditions encountered here vs. The upper right edge of an archway in Lion City.

A gorgeously detailed dragon and phoenix in Lion City. When To Go Generally, April — October are the recommended months to visit, as there is warmer weather at the lake, and hopefully warmer water below the thermocline.

Qiandao Lake - Wikipedia

A last look at Lion City. Photo Tips Treat this like a night dive and bring lights, lights, and more lights. Filmed by Carolyn Wang and edited by Lawrence Wang. Further Reading Diving into Egyptian History: