On July 28, 1976, at 3:42 a.m. Beijing time, an earthquake 16 kilometers below the ground occurred. It had a force equivalent to 400 times that of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. In mere moments, Tangshan, a city of a million residents, was flattened. It seemed like an unforeseen and unstoppable catastrophe, yet nature had indeed sent warning signs. It was these signs that, in hindsight, sent chills down the spines of seismologists and led them to deep contemplation.
The Tangshan Earthquake: 30th Anniversary Edition provides a panoramic documentation of humanity’s reactions in the face of this natural disaster. It traces the enigmatic events and unusual phenomena that surrounded the earthquake, prompting us to reflect: How should we, as humans, coexist with nature?
Bizarre phenomena preceding the Tangshan earthquake
1. Fish seemed to be ‘crazy’
Around July 20, in the coastal fishing grounds not far from Tangshan, mackerel, catfish, and bass surged to the surface, turning belly up, making them easy catches. It was a stroke of unprecedented luck for the fishermen. Another witness, Huo Shanhu from Tangshan’s Baigezhuang farm, observed on July 25 that fish were creating a lot of noise in the ponds. Grass carp jumped in groups, some leaping over a foot out of the water. Strangely, some fish spun rapidly in the water, tails up and heads down, like spinning tops.
2. Bats and insects lost their ‘sanity’
On July 27, Li Yinpu, a teacher from the Hebei Institute of Metallurgy, was in the outskirts of Tangshan when he saw a militia battalion commander holding a string of bats, about a dozen, tethered to a rope. “It’s so strange,” said the militia battalion commander. “Bats are flying everywhere in broad daylight.”
On the same day, farmers in Ninghe County reported large swarms of dragonflies forming a square formation of about 320 square feet, flying from south to north.
3. Animal exodus and migration
On July 27, in Tangshan’s Luanan County, Wang Gaishan witnessed groups of mice frantically scurrying in cotton fields. Large mice led the way, with smaller ones biting their tails, forming a linked chain. In Funing County on the morning of July 25, over a hundred weasels were seen, with larger ones carrying or holding smaller ones in their mouths, all emerging from a hole in an old wall. Their panicked migration continued for two days, filling the atmosphere with tension.
4. Eerie late night prior to the earthquake
On the night of July 27, Wang Cai, a resident living in the suburbs of Tangshan, came home late at night after watching a movie. He found his four ducks, which usually roamed free, standing outside his home. They quacked loudly, stretching their necks and flapping their wings as they wobbled toward him, desperately pecking at his pant legs.
Zhang Baogui of Luannan County had trouble sleeping on the night of July 27, disturbed by the constant meowing of his cat. Even after offering his cat food, the cat continued its restless behavior.
That night, for miles around Tangshan, people heard a prolonged and sharp barking of dogs.
As the unsettling night deepened and the fateful July 28 dawned, Zhang Chunzhu from Funing County was startled awake at 1:30 a.m. by the squeaking of all 415 mink in his care, which exhibited frantic and terrified behaviors. Simultaneously, Chen Fugang from Fengrun County struggled to control his mules and horses. By 3 a.m., over 100 horses broke their reins and bolted. Meanwhile, Li Huicheng of Changli County in Tangshan witnessed over two hundred pigeons from a neighboring house take flight, circling and colliding in the air for a long time before settling down.
Before the Tangshan earthquake, sensitive insects, birds, and animals took their first steps to flee the impending doom, much earlier than humans. However, these signs went largely unnoticed, dismissed as anomalies attributed to the hot weather, perhaps stirring restlessness in animals.
Knowledge can make us discerning and strong, but it can also render us deaf, blind, and vulnerable. The Tangshan earthquake serves as a stark reminder: We must closely monitor insects and animals and consider their anomalous behaviors as early warnings, preparing us to take timely measures in the face of potential dangers.
Translated by Audrey Wang
