Lion City (Shi Cheng) is a 1,300-year-old walled city submerged beneath the waters of Qiandao Lake (Thousand Islands Lake), about 2.5 hours west of Hangzhou by bus. The city — originally a busy administrative centre with five city gates and elaborate stone-carved archways — was flooded in 1959 when the Xin'an River dam created the reservoir. It now lies 25 to 40 metres below the surface, its stone buildings intact.
Dive operators in the lakeside town of Chun'an offer guided dives to the ruins, where stone archways, temple steps, and carved decorations are clearly visible. Non-divers can take glass-bottom boat tours over the site. Qiandao Lake is also famous for its water quality — it supplies drinking water to Hangzhou — and the lake scenery of forested islands is striking in its own right. Stay overnight in Chun'an to explore the lake properly.