Xichang Earthquake Stone Tablet Forest

Xichang Earthquake Stone Tablet Forest

The Xichang Earthquake Stone Tablet Forest is a cultural relic protection unit of Sichuan Province.

Inside Shanguangfu Temple, there are over 100 stone tablets. The inscriptions record historical occurrences of major earthquakes in Xichang, Mianning, Ganluo, and Ningnan, providing detailed accounts of the timing of three significant earthquakes in the Xichang region—in the 15th year of the Ming Jiajing era (536), the 10th year of the Qing Yongzheng era (1732), and the 30th year of the Daoguang era (1850)—including the times of foreshocks, main shocks, aftershocks, affected areas, as well as casualties among people and livestock, and damage to buildings. Xichang is located in a seismic zone along the Anning River and Zemu River fault lines, making it one of the seismically active regions in southwestern China. Throughout history, the area has experienced numerous strong earthquakes. This Stone Tablet Forest offers tangible material for researching whether strong earthquakes recur at the same locations, their periodicity, and inherent patterns. These records not only correspond with, but also supplement historical documents—making this an extremely rare resource in China. The tablet forest is a provincial-level cultural relic protection site and a great destination for tourists interested in research and sightseeing.

Protected area: 15 meters beyond the perimeter wall. To the north up to the monks’ dining hall of Guangfu Temple, to the south to the rear of Huixin Hall, 30 meters east of Guanyin Hall, and to the west up to the outer western wall of Guangfu Temple on Mount Lu.

Construction control zone: 50 meters beyond the protected area.