Star Crater

Star Crater

Star Crater

Star Crater is located at Xiao Gong Cave (

behind the county machine tool factory), about 3 kilometers from the county seat. The *Qianque Leishu* records: “In the northern gate of Jiangle County, Fujian, there is a fallen star pit. During the Yi Xi era of the Jin Dynasty (405–418 AD), a long star fell here and instantly formed a pit.” Since the fallen star pit is near the former residence of Yang Shi, a philosopher of the Song Dynasty, local folklore associates it with the saying “a great sage shall be born every five hundred years,” implying that Yang Shi’s birth fulfilled the omen of the meteorite.

This legend is still widely circulated among locals today. The pit remains largely in its original state, measuring over 10 meters in depth, with a bottom diameter of 9 meters and a top diameter of more than 20 meters. The northern side of the pit is steep, resembling a cliff face, while the other sides have varying slopes. The overall shape resembles a large, deep funnel. It is one of the earliest recorded meteorite impact sites in China. The depth to which the meteorite penetrated the ground remains unexplored, as the pit has been filled and covered with dust over the centuries. The Jiangle Fallen Star Pit holds significant value for the study of meteorites and impact craters.