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Time of India
22-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
China's 650-year-old Ming Dynasty tower roof collapsed in seconds, tourists evacuate in panic
Source: X A stunning roof collapse at the Fengyang Drum Tower , a leading historical landmark in China, has triggered concern among preservationists, tourists, and local authorities. An earlier roof failure this week spilt debris and had tourists running in panic. Even though there were no reported casualties, the accident has highlighted the success of recent restoration work and the wider issues of preserving ancient cultural heritage sites. This fall highlights the key concern for China and other nations with rich historical architecture: How do we conserve ancient buildings while maintaining contemporary standards of safety? With growing tourism and heritage locations being exposed to natural forces and human activities, sustainable conservation measures are needed more than ever. Roof of the Fengyang Drum Tower in China collapsed, no casualties reported On Monday evening, at approximately 6:30 PM, the roof of the Fengyang Drum Tower unexpectedly collapsed. The dramatic collapse was caught on camera by eyewitnesses, with parts of the roof tiles and wood beam structures coming crashing down to the ground as shocked visitors shrieked and scattered for cover. Luckily, there were no casualties or injuries. Nevertheless, the psychological effect on travelers and the symbolic destruction of one of China's cultural icons has been great. Government response to the recent 600-year-old Chinese Tower roof collapse As soon as the incident occurred, the Fengyang County Culture and Tourism Bureau issued a public announcement announcing the collapse and reassuring the public that emergency actions were quickly taken. "The roof collapsed around 6:30 PM. There are no reported injuries," stated the official announcement, as cited by Global Times. The authorities quickly evacuated all the visitors, cordoned the site, and installed safety fences to block entry. Security guards and local emergency services also were sent in to guard the site and inspect for other structural weak points. Previous deterioration reports prompt new scrutiny after tower collapse The accident has led to fresh scrutiny of the structural history of the tower, particularly in light of the fact that there were previous reports of issues. Tourism and heritage authorities disclosed that there was evidence of visible deterioration, such as damage to cornice boards and roof tiles, as far back as 2017. Still, it was some years before serious repairs began. A full-scale restoration work was initiated in September 2023 to patch and secure the roofing system of the tower. The same was purportedly accomplished by March 2024, months prior to the collapse. The collapse raises questions on restoration costs and quality The restoration work was a large cost project, with the original contract put at 3.4 million yuan (around Rs 39.5 lakh). The last payment was resolved at 2.9 million yuan (around Rs 33.6 lakh), and one wonders if cost-saving or project management could have been factors in the result. Although the name of the company that was hired to do the renovation and the full extent of the works have not been made public, local authorities are currently under mounting pressure to examine the quality of materials, the construction process, and adherence to heritage conservation guidelines. To the collapse, supervision professionals have been sent to assess the structure's integrity of the portion of the building that has not collapsed. The government is undertaking an exhaustive inspection process, and the location will continue to be off-limits to the general public pending notice. According to officials, the date when it can reopen will be established based on the outcome of engineering inspections and any repairs required for enhanced safety. Cultural and historical significance of the Fengyang Drum Tower The Fengyang Drum Tower is not just a tourist attraction — it is an artifact of Chinese history. Originally built in 1375 during the Ming Dynasty, the building represented administrative power and civic pride. Drum towers existed in ancient China for keeping time and making public announcements. Although the original tower was dismantled in 1853, it was rebuilt in 1995 with the intention of maintaining its historical heritage. It is now officially declared to be "the largest existing drum tower in China," said the Chuzhou Culture and Tourism Bureau. Its massive architecture, wood framework, and classical eaves make it a masterpiece of Ming-style civic architecture. The tower has long been an important landmark for Fengyang County's cultural tourism. Also Read | Explore the tiny creature with 25,000 teeth and its fascinating truth behind
Sky News AU
22-05-2025
- Sky News AU
Shocking footage as roof of historic Ming Dynasty tower collapses in China
Footage has emerged of hundreds of tiles from China's historic Ming Dynasty tower collapsing near passing visitors. On Monday, the historic tower in China's Anhui province saw hundreds of tiles smash, narrowly missing several people. Local media cited a statement from the Fengyang County Culture and Tourism Bureau that no one was injured. 'The Drum Tower' was built during the Ming Dynasty in 1375, with China's reportedly largest tower undergoing an extensive rebuild in 1995. According to the BBC, Chinese officials in the capital of Beijing have said an investigation is underway.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Tiles Fall Off the Roof of 600-Year-Old Tower, Sending Tourists Scrambling
Much of the roof of the Fengyang Drum Tower crumbled around 6:30 p.m. local time on May 19 The tower itself is a relatively new renovation, but the structure's base dates back to 1375 in the Ming Dynasty No casualties were reported, and the site is closed for nowTourists were sent running from a popular tourist site in China after tiles on a historic building's roof unexpectedly fell roughly two stories to the ground. The roof of the Fengyang Drum Tower, built during the Ming Dynasty in 1375, collapsed as hundreds of its tiles slid down, followed by a large plume of debris dust, according to video footage. Falling debris nearly hit some visitors, eyewitnesses told BBC, though a Fengyang County Culture and Tourism Bureau statement confirmed there were no injuries as a result. 'The tile falling lasted for a minute or two,' a witness told Yangcheng Evening News, a state-sanctioned newspaper. Authorities directed tourists and bystanders away from the area as they secured the scene. Fengyang county officials said an investigation is in progress, per BBC. Fengyang Drum Tower is closed for the time being as repairs begin, the outlet reported. The tower most recently underwent repairs to address minor damage to the roof, per CNN. The tower itself is not from the Ming Dynasty, only the base; the tower sustained the bulk of damages through the years, and was largely rebuilt in 1995. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer , from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The drum tower in Fengyang is one of the largest still standing throughout China, the outlet reported. Such structures often marked the center of a village and served as a signal tower. Read the original article on People
RTÉ News
21-05-2025
- General
- RTÉ News
Watch: Roof slides off historic Ming dynasty tower in China
Eyewitness footage filmed showed the roof of a historic tower in China's Fengyang county collapsing. Reuters was able to verify the location of footage from building structure, characters on the wall and roadmap layout seen on file and street view images. The date was verified through a statement from the Fengyang County Culture and Tourism Bureau. A statement from local officials said tiles on the east side of the roof of the Fengyang Drum Tower fell around 6.30pm local time (11.30am Irish time) on Monday. The tower is over 600 years old, having been constructed in 1375 during the Ming dynasty.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
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 site. Eyewitness footage showed sections of the roof collapsing, narrowly missing a number of people. Local 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 Monday. The 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, WeChat. Fengyang county is famous for being the hometown of the Ming Dynasty's founding emperor - Hongwu Emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang. Local 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 added. Reports say supervision units were also sent to the site with experts invited to assist in the investigation and verification process. The tower is closed while repairs are carried out, with a reopening date due to be announced at a later date.
