Roof of 650-year-old Ming Dynasty era drum tower collapses in China. See shocking video
The Fengyang county authority said the original portion of the Ming Dynasty-built drum tower was destroyed in 1853.
The roof of a 650-year-old Fengyang Drum Tower in the city of Chuzhou in East China's Anhui province came crashing to the ground this week. Visuals from the incident showed several eyewitnesses narrowly escaping the collapsing debris.
According to China's Global Times newspaper, the rooftop collapsed at around 6:30 pm on Monday, and no injuries were reported.
An official statement from the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Fengyang County said that following the incident, local officials immediately evacuated bystanders from the scene and cordoned off the area with safety barriers.
In the multiple visuals of the roof collapse, which are circulating on social media, witnesses were seen screaming and running away from the tower as tiles of its roof began crashing down.
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The famous Fengyang Drum Tower was built in 1375 during the Ming Dynasty, the county's official statement noted. The original portion of the building was destroyed in 1853, following which the current structure was rebuilt in 1995.
The Chuzhou Culture and Tourism official account on WeChat said that the drum tower is the largest existing one in China.
As per Global Times, the Fengyang tourism authority said that the roof tile falls and cornice board damage had already been done in 2017. However, a repair project kicked off in September 2023 and was completed in March 2024.
The repair project contract was reportedly valued at around 3.4 million yuan (approximately $473,300), with the final settlement amount standing at 2.9 million yuan.
Beijing Daily had reported that the project's safety compliance standard and quality compliance were rated satisfactory.
Meanwhile, an investigation team has been set up to look into the incident. The repair project's design, construction, and supervision units have also been directed to report to the site. Global Times reported that experts have also been called in for assistance with the investigation and more so with the verification process.
The Fengyang Drum Tower will now remain temporarily closed to tourists and visitors amid the repair works on the collapsed roof. Authorities said that the date of the site's re-opening will be announced soon.
