Shi Chen, Cheng Ho, China

Qiandao Lake situated in Chinese province of Zhejiang is also of great interest from the archaeological point of view. The lake is man-made; it was formed in 1959 during construction of another large-scale power plant. After formation, the lake safely concealed unique historical artifacts from prying eyes. Those were ruins of ancient cities Shi Chen and Cheng Ho. According to scientists, the age of these cities is more than 1,500 years. A lot of amazing buildings could be found there.

Today, the only way to enjoy them is to dive to the bottom of the lake using diving equipment. It’s worth noting that the most ancient cities are not the only objects that have suffered during construction of the reservoir. In addition to the ancient settlements, 27 major cities end up under water, as well as a little less than 1,400 small villages. In total, about 300,000 inhabitants were evacuated from the flooded area. The extent of the flooding was so great that no one paid much attention to historical monuments gone under water.

In 2001, the modern diving center was opened in the reservoir area, where ancient cities have been submerged. Everyone can learn the basics of scuba diving and enjoy the hidden underwater fortifications of ancient cities, beautiful temples and buildings, where people have lived a few decades ago. It is noteworthy that many buildings of Shi Chen and Cheng Ho had been made of wood, and therefore have managed to retain their amazing appearance for many years. Next - Harappa