Latest news with #Fengyang
CTV News
22-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Watch the moment the roof of a 600-year-old tower in China collapses
Watch the moment the roof of a 600-year-old tower in China collapses Eyewitness video captured the roof of the historic Fengyang Drum Tower in China collapsing.
New York Times
22-05-2025
- General
- New York Times
A Very Old Tower's Much Newer Roof Collapses, Raising Questions in China
The reconstructed roof of a 14th-century tower in eastern China partially collapsed in dramatic fashion this week, leading to an investigation and questions about whether the structure's modern renovations had been substandard or even illegal. Videos shared online showed tiles cascading off the roof of the Drum Tower in Fengyang County on Monday as dozens of people were gathered in an open plaza below. A large cloud of dust swelled around the building as the onlookers scattered. No injuries were reported, according to the Fengyang government. It said the cause of the collapse was under investigation. The tower has been designated a key cultural relic by Anhui Province, which includes Fengyang County. Its base, reportedly the largest of any drum tower in China, dates to 1375, during the Ming dynasty. Drum towers, often found in the center of Chinese cities, were historically used to help communities keep time. But the building atop the base in Fengyang, which has curved eaves layered with tiles, was built only in 1995, the original having been destroyed in the 19th century. It was renovated last year, specifically to fix the problem of falling roof tiles, the Fengyang government said after the collapse. That spurred questions online about the quality of the renovation, which cost about 3 million yuan, or nearly $420,000, and whether public funds had been misused. Ten years ago, the company that handled the tower project was renovating an ancestral hall in Anhui when a fire broke out that destroyed part of the building, according to state media reports. Adding to the concerns about the structure, CCTV, China's state broadcaster, said this week that the entire recreated building atop the base had been built illegally in the 1990s, calling it a 'fake antique' that had not been approved by officials who oversee cultural heritage sites. CCTV did not explain why there had been no earlier scrutiny of the building. Many historical sites across China have been renovated in recent decades as cultural tourism has exploded in popularity. Slipshod construction has been a long-running problem in China, especially during the early years of the economic boom that began four decades ago. Poorly built school buildings contributed to the deaths of as many as 10,000 students in a 2008 earthquake in Sichuan Province. Oversight has improved, but construction accidents are still a sensitive and sometimes deadly issue. A Ming dynasty gate, also in Fengyang County, collapsed during a construction project in 2007. Investigators at the time determined that unauthorized construction and quality issues may have played a role, the state news agency Xinhua reported. According to the Fengyang government's statement, tiles began falling off the drum tower's roof in 2017. In 2023, the government launched a public bidding process for renovations. The winning company, Huangshan Huizhou Zhongya Construction, started the work in September 2023 and finished in March of last year. Just nine months later, in December, officials noticed cracks on top of the building, the head of Fengyang's culture and tourism bureau, Lu Deyong, said in an interview with China National Radio. But they determined that the roof tiles, in general, were secure, Mr. Lu said. He defended the cost of the renovation, which he said included repairing tiles and railings and adding layers of cement mortar. 'As for whether it's a problem of project quality, that requires expert verification,' Mr. Lu said. Asked about CCTV's report that the 1995 reconstruction was unauthorized, Mr. Lu told the Beijing News, an outlet controlled by China's ruling Communist Party, that the project had been approved. Attempts to reach the culture and tourism bureau for comment were unsuccessful.
The Independent
22-05-2025
- The Independent
Tourists flee as 600-year-old Ming Dynasty tower roof collapses in China
The roof of a Ming Dynasty tower dating back more than 600 years collapsed in a huge pile of rubble in China 's Fengyang county on Monday (19 May). Eyewitness footage showed part of the historic building collapsing as tourists scrambled to flee the scene. Local officials said tiles on the east side of the roof of the Fengyang Drum Tower fell around 6:30 p.m. local time (1030 GMT) on Monday. The tower is more than 600 years old, constructed in 1375 during the Ming Dynasty.
BBC News
21-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Roof of historic Ming Dynasty tower collapses in China
Hundreds of tiles have fallen from the roof of a centuries old tower in China's Anhui province, smashing to the ground near visitors to the footage showed sections of the roof collapsing, narrowly missing a number of media cited a Fengyang County Culture and Tourism Bureau statement that said no one was injured in the incident, which happened at around 18:30 local time (11:30 BST) on Drum Tower - reportedly the largest in China - was built in 1375 during the Ming Dynasty but had undergone an extensive rebuild in 1995. Officials for the county, around 200 miles away from the capital Beijing, said an investigation was under way, in a post shared on China's instant messaging app, county is famous for being the hometown of the Ming Dynasty's founding emperor - Hongwu Emperor, Zhu authorities reportedly moved bystanders from the scene following the collapse and secured the area. The investigation will be looking at the repair project's design and construction, a statement seen by local media say supervision units were also sent to the site with experts invited to assist in the investigation and verification tower is closed while repairs are carried out, with a reopening date due to be announced at a later date.
The Star
20-05-2025
- General
- The Star
Plunging roof tiles at 650-year-old tourist attraction in China sparks investigation
Videos circulating on social media show part of the roof crumbling before its tiles slid off, sending up a large cloud of dust. BEIJING: A 650-year-old drum tower in eastern China that just underwent repairs last year has sparked an investigation after its roof tiles came crashing down on Monday (May 19), narrowly missing tourists milling outside its majestic walls. Several videos circulating on various social media platforms show part of the roof crumbling before its tiles slid off within seconds, sending up a large cloud of dust as startled tourists scramble away from the tower. No one was hurt in the incident, which occurred at 6.30pm local time on the east-facing side of the roof of the Fengyang Drum Tower in Anhui province, according to the county's culture and tourism bureau on Tuesday (May 20). The bureau said in a statement that the county immediately activated emergency response measures, evacuated onlookers and cordoned off the area. An investigation team has also been formed. Originally built in 1375 during the Ming Dynasty, the tower comprises a raised platform base and a building. The base was listed as a key cultural relic to be protected in Anhui in 1989. However, part of the original building was destroyed during the Qing Dynasty in 1853, and the building was reconstructed in 1995. According to the bureau, the building has experienced damage to its roof tiles and eaves since 2017. A restoration project was initiated in February 2023, with construction taking place between September 2023 and March 2024. Netizens took to social media to express their shock at the collapse that brought down the tiles. 'That's so scary. These tiles are like (tofu),' said a Weibo user. Another said: 'If this were to happen during the ancient times, heads would roll.' Other users called for solidarity, with one post reading: 'It's time to show the true Fengyang spirit! We fall but rise stronger. Let's support each other through this challenge.' - The Straits Times/ANN
