A loud crash echoed through the streets as hundreds of tiles came tumbling down from the 650-year-old Fengyang Drum Tower in China. Tourists ran for cover, frightened by the sudden collapse. Luckily, no one was hurt.
The drum tower, built in 1378, is one of China’s largest and most famous. It was used to mark the start of festivals and special occasions. Now, it’s a popular tourist spot in Anhui province, about 200 miles from Beijing.
The incident happened on Monday when the tiles fell to the ground, sending up a cloud of brown dust. Witnesses said the tiles kept falling for about a minute or two. One person heard the sound of tiles hitting the ground from a nearby shop. Another said it was lucky that no one was in the square at the time, or there could have been many injuries.
“If it had happened a bit later, there would have been many children playing in the area,” a witness said.
Local tourism officials confirmed that no one was hurt or killed. They are investigating the cause of the collapse. The drum tower had been renovated just last year after some damage to the roof.
The tower has two parts: the original base, built during the Ming dynasty, and the upper part, which was rebuilt in 1995. The damage from the collapse only affected the upper part.
Fengyang is known for its rich history and culture. It’s the birthplace of Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming dynasty, who brought prosperity to China through trade and population growth. This was also a time when China started using paper money instead of gold and silver coins.