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The earthquake memorial and park in the centre of town on Xinhua Road is an important focal point. There is also a museum located nearby which details the city's history and future plans. Good views of the city can be obtained from a pagoda atop of a hill in Fenghuangshan Park a short distance away on Wenhua Road at the intersection with Beixin Road. Nanhu (South) Lake Park is a large park with walkways around the lakes and is on Jianshe South Road.
The earthquake devastated the city over an area of roughly 6.5 kilometres (4.0 mi) by 8 kilometres (5.0 mi). Tangshan itself was thought to be in a region with a relatively low risk of earthquakes. Very few buildings had been built to withstand an earthquake, and the city lies on unstable alluvial soil. Therefore, hundreds of thousands of buildings were destroyed. Many of the people who survived the initial earthquake were trapped under collapsed buildings. Tremors were felt as far away as Xi'an approximately 760 km away. Eighty-five percent of the buildings in the city were collapsed into ruins or became uninhabitable.
The seismic waves spread far, with damage in cities such as Qinhuangdao and Tianjin, and a few buildings as far away as Beijing, 140 km from the epicenter, were damaged. The economic loss totaled to 10 billion yuan. Earthquake Museum was built in 1986, it is a comprehensive display of the Tangshan City integrated circumstance, earthquake relief, recovery construction of historical data and after20 years of Tangshan economy, society career achievement.
Taking a closer look at Tangshan, it has more attractions other than memorial spots. According to archaeological discoveries, it was validated that this area was inhabited as far back as 45,000 years ago. It became a shire in Han dynasties (206BC-220AD) and obtained its name 'Tangshan' by the Dachengshan Mountain which was vouchsafed by the emperor in Tang Dynasty (618-907). Since Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it has been an industrial center and was officially founded as a city in 1938. Eastern Qing Mausoleum, for example, is the most magnificent and well preserved architectural complex of Imperial Tombs of Ming and Qing Emperor with 15 catacombs. Jingzhong Mountain, a religious mountain well-known for its combination of Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian buildings since Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) is also attractive for people who love Chinese traditional culture.
Though destroyed by the earthquake, there is still traditional culture shining at today’s Tangshan. Ping Opera and Leting Drums Song (the most characteristic local operas), Tangshan Shadow Puppetry Play are the most three featured culture part in Tangshan. Shadow play or also known as shadow puppetry is an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment which uses flat articulated figures (shadow puppets) to create the impression of moving humans and other three-dimensional objects.
The 1976 earthquake hit Tangshan once, surely it’s supposed to be a deadly disaster. But look at today’s Tangshan, you may realize how strong will is.