Stone architecture dating to the Ming and Qing dynasties (which ruled from 1368 to 1912) stands perfectly preserved 40m under Qiandao Lake in Zhejiang province, 400km south of Shanghai.

BBC: China��s Atlantis of the East

Between 1420 and 1924, 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties lived here in near-total seclusion, rarely venturing out beyond the 10-metre-thick walls, and commanding an almost divine power over their subjects.

BBC: The perfect trip: China

Before the Communists came to power in 1949, travellers reported an eighth wonder of the world: a green if dusty city, largely unaltered from the medieval plan laid out under Kublai Khan and built upon by the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1912) dynasties.

ECONOMIST: China��s Communist modernisers are wrecking the capital