China will be rocked by powerful earthquake aftershocks for months, a senior expert warned Tuesday, as two more strong tremors struck.

Aftershocks after the devastating May 12 quake will continue for two or three months, said He Yongnian, former deputy director of the China Seismological Bureau, according to Xinhua news agency.

"Judging from previous earthquakes of a similar magnitude, this time the aftershocks may last for two or three months," he said.

The May 12 earthquake, which measured 8.0 on the Richter scale, hit densely populated Sichuan province and killed at least 67,000. Entire towns and villages were destroyed across an area the size of South Korea.

As of Monday noon, 182 aftershocks measuring above four on the Richter scale had been recorded in Sichuan, Xinhua said, citing the China Seismological Bureau.

The biggest aftershock came on Sunday, measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale. At least eight people were killed and 70,000 houses toppled in the quake zone.

Another aftershock of magnitude 5.4 hit the region on Tuesday, with the tremor felt in Sichuan's capital Chengdu, a resident and state media said.

"It was a pretty strong one, but not the worst," a Chengdu driver told AFP.

The United States Geological Survey said the aftershock was located just 41 kilometres (25 miles) from Guangyuan, a city that also suffered damage in the May 12 quake.

About 30 minutes later, an aftershock measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale could be felt in neighbouring Shaanxi province, Xinhua said in a brief dispatch.

That aftershock could be felt in Shaanxi's capital Xian, home of China's famous Terracotta Warriors.

"Many citizens rushed to the streets from their homes," a Xian resident surnamed Feng told Xinhua.

There were no immediate reports of major damage from the latest two aftershocks.