MING DYNASTY ROOF COLLAPSES
The roof of a 14th-century tower collapsed in eastern China. The reconstructed roof is on top of a tower and no injuries were reported.
The tower’s base is the largest of any drum tower in the country and dates back to 1375, during the Ming dynasty.
Videos shared on social media show the tiles falling off the roof of the Drum Tower. Tourists were gathered in an open plaza below and witnessed it.
The cause of the collapse is now under investigation to establish whether the structure’s modern renovations had been below standard requirements and possibly even illegal.
According to China’s state broadcaster, CCTV, the entire recreated building atop the base had been built illegally in the 1990s. The broadcaster said the building was a “fake antique” that had not been approved by officials in charge of overseeing cultural heritage sites.
As part of the investigation, officials have been asked to investigate the quality of the renovations, which cost almost R7.5 million. At this stage, it’s unclear whether state funding was used for the renovations.
Due to a cultural tourism boom in recent decades, many historical sites were renovated, but the quality of craftsmanship has been in the spotlight since then.
Image credit: BBC