Undersea treasure: archaeologists find submerged Qin dynasty ‘seaside palace’ of China’s first emperor

Archaeologists believe they may have found a submerged seaside palace built more than 2,200 years ago by China’s first emperor, Ying Zheng, mainland media reports.

The building, thought to date back to the Qin dynasty (221-207BC), was discovered under the sea off the coast of Suizhong county, in Liaoning province, researchers from Liaoning and Beijing told the Liaoshen Evening News.

The largest discovery was a 60-metre wide square, formed of large stones, which could be the foundations of a large platform for religious sacrifices or other important activities, the archaeologists said. They also found the remains of a stone road running through the palace.

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Local fishermen said they had previously found ancient coins and ceramics on the seabed, while some of the stone walls were clearly visible at low tide.

Ying Zheng, also known as Qin Shihuang, was China’s first ruler, who united the nation by conquering all of the warring states in 221BC.

He is said to have visited the East China Sea coast three times before his death in 210BC in his futile quest for immortality.