On May 23, 512 CE, a major earthquake struck the Yingxian region of Shanxi province in China. This event is recorded in Chinese historical sources as a significant disaster. The earthquake caused widespread destruction and loss of life.

The 512 Shanxi earthquake is 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.