The 1695 Linfen earthquake struck Shanxi Province in North China, Qing dynasty on May 18.

The 1303 Hongdong and 1556 Shanxi earthquakes were the deadliest events occurring in the rift, with a death toll of 200,000 and 830,000, respectively.

It formed when extension began in the Miocene or Pliocene, separating the crust into the Ordos Block from the North China Craton.

The reason for extension in this part of China is still debated though the most agreed hypothesis is crustal deformation resulting from the India-Asia collision involving the Indian and Eurasian plates along the Main Himalayan Thrust in the Himalayas, causing the rotation of crustal blocks in China.

Other hypotheses are slab rollback of the Pacific plate as it subducts along the east coast of Japan; or localized intraplate tectonics.

[3] Dip-slip and strike-slip earthquakes in North China are consistent with ongoing crustal extension along the Shanxi Rift System.

[5] It generated a 70 km (43 mi) rupture along a steeply-dipping northwest-striking fault with a left-lateral slip sense.

The shock knocked down structures in the city, including walls, temples, towers, homes, and warehouses.

Kangxi provided relief fund to help the victims of the earthquake and rebuild damaged cities.

Donations requested by the Minister of Relief from all government officials amounted to 4,594,200 taels of silver and were used to rebuild homes.