On October 25, 1622 CE, a powerful earthquake, estimated at magnitude 7.0, struck the Ningxia region of China. The quake, known as the North Guyuan earthquake, killed an estimated 12,000 people and caused widespread destruction. This event was one of the most significant earthquakes to hit northwestern China during the Ming dynasty.

The 1622 earthquake was recorded in Chinese dynastic histories and is part of the long tradition of documenting natural disasters in Chinese literature. The event was interpreted through the lens of the Mandate of Heaven, with such calamities seen as signs of political or moral failure. This earthquake contributed to the Chinese literary tradition of using natural disasters as a form of political and moral commentary.