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China Seismic Intensity Scale
The China Seismic Intensity Scale (CSIS) is a national standard in the People's Republic of China used to measure seismic intensity. Similar to SMC-92 on which CSIS drew reference, seismic impacts are classified into 12 liedu (, literally "degree of violence"), from I for insensible to XII for landscape reshaping. The scale was initially formalized by the China Earthquake Administration (CEA) in 1980, therefore often referred to by its original title as "China Seismic Intensity Scale (1980)". It was later revised, and adopted as a national standard, or Guobiao, series GB/T 17742-1999 by then National Quality and Technology Supervision Administration (now General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine of P.R.C., AQSIQ) in 1999.

Liedu Scale
Note about Qualifiers: "very few" - <10%; "few" - 10% - 50%; "most" - 50% - 70%; "majority" - 70% - 90%; "commonly" - >90%.

Quake Intensity
The map of earthquake intensity published by CEA after surveying 500,000 km2 of the affected area shows a maximum liedu of XI on the China Seismic Intensity Scale (CSIS), described as "very destructive" on the European Macroseismic Scale (EMS) from which CSIS drew reference. (USGS, using Modified Mercalli intensity scale (MM), also placed maximum intensity at XI, "very disastrous".) Two south-west-north-east stripes of liedu XI are centered around Yingxiu, Wenchuan and Beichuan, both in Sichuan Province, occupying a total of 2,419 km2. The Yingxiu liedu-XI zone is about 66 km long and 20 km wide along Wenchuan-Dujiangyan-Pengzhou; the Beichuan liedu-XI zone is about 82 km long and 15 km wide along An County-Beichuan-Pingwu. The area with liedu X (comparable to X on EMS, "destructive" and X on MM, "disastrous") spans 3,144 km2. The area affected by earthquakes exceeding liedu VI totals 440,442 km2, occupying an oval 936 km long and 596 km wide, spanning three provinces and one autonomous region.