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<\/p>\nAn ancient city in China is still perfectly preserved despite being at the bottom of a lake. <\/p>\n
Branded the \u2018Atlantis of the East\u2019, Shicheng has been frozen in time after being intentionally flooded by the Chinese government in 1959 to make way for a hydroelectric dam. Nearly 300,000 people were relocated for the project, some of whom had families that had lived in the city for centuries.<\/p>\n
The city was rediscovered in 2001 after an expedition was launched to find out what had happened to the sunken metropolis that sits 40 metres underwater. <\/p>\n
READ MORE: 'Long-lost city of Gods' discovered in dense forest by lasers after 1,000 years <\/b><\/p>\n
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Shicheng is still in reasonable nick due to being submerged in fresh water and was opened up to the public in 2017, according to Indy100.<\/p>\n
The lack of sun, wind and rain erosion means that its wide streets still have perfectly preserved stonework of dragons, phoenixes and historical inscriptions, some of which date back as far as 1777.<\/p>\n
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Experienced divers from across the globe now flock to China's Zhejiang Province to see the city which also has the nickname 'Lion City' due to it being so close to the Wu Shi Mountain, or 'Five Lion Mountain'.<\/p>\n
When they were relocated, residents left behind memories of the underwater city which according to the BBC has architecture linking it to the Ming and Qing dynasties.<\/p>\n
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Interest in the city peaked again in 2011 when pictures were published by the Chinese National Geography. Shicheng\u2019s origins remain murky and this is added to by the fact that parts of the city are yet to be discovered.<\/p>\n
However, if you\u2019ve got a keen interest in exploration and fancy a bit of Chinese lake diving, make sure you know what you\u2019re doing \u2013 the lake is reserved for people with a high level of experience, particularly in night, deep water and exploratory diving.<\/p>\n
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