The Drum Tower in Fengyang, a great historical symbol built in 1375, recently had its roof collapsed just one year after being repaired. The incident happened on Monday afternoon when hundreds of tiles from the high roof of this tower suddenly fell down, creating a chaotic scene and a lot of dust.
Fengyang Drum Tower, a majestic and magnificent historical symbol, was started to be built in 1375 during the Ming Dynasty. For centuries, this towering tower has resounded with the solemn drum beats, signaling important ceremonies and rhythmically marking the time, becoming the resonant heart of Fengyang. According to ancient Chinese documents, this is not only one of the largest drum towers in the country but also a tourist destination attracting millions of visitors every year, peacefully located in Fengyang County, Anhui Province, about 320 km south of Beijing.
The Drum Tower in Fuyang is one of the largest drum towers in China.
The incident happened on Monday afternoon local time. Viral images showed hundreds of tiles from the tower's high roof suddenly falling onto the courtyard below, creating a large cloud of dust. The quiet of the relic site was broken by the sound of falling tiles and panic among visitors.
Photo of damaged tiled roof taken on May 20
“The incident of falling tiles lasted for about 1-2 minutes,” one witness told Yangcheng Wanbao, a newspaper censored by the Chinese government. Another witness described hearing the sound of tiles falling one by one while standing in a shop near the entrance to the tower.
“There was no one in the square at the time, so no one was hurt,” he told Xinjing Pao, another state-run media outlet. “If it had happened a little later, it could have put more children who were playing near the tower after dinner in danger.” The local Department of Culture and Tourism said no casualties had been reported and that “the incident is under investigation.”
The moment the roof of the tower collapsed, there were quite a lot of tourists in front.
According to the Straits Times, this drum tower was built in 1375 during the Ming Dynasty, consisting of a high pedestal base and the upper structure. The base was recognized as a provincial cultural relic since 1989.
However, the upper structure was destroyed in 1853 during the Qing Dynasty and rebuilt in 1995. Fuyang County officials confirmed that the damaged part was mainly the upper structure while the Ming Dynasty base was still preserved.
Multiple videos circulating on social media show part of the roof collapsing before tiles slid off, creating a large cloud of dust.
Since 2017, the structure has shown signs of damage to the tiles and eaves. Notably, the falling tile incident occurred just one year after the roof was repaired due to minor damage.
Fuyang County is famous as the hometown of Zhu Yuanzhang (Emperor Hongwu), the founder of the Ming Dynasty. Under his reign, China experienced a period of prosperity with flourishing international trade and a rapidly growing population. This was also the time when the country switched from using silver and gold to paper money in its monetary system.
