THE 650-year-old Fengyang Drum Tower, a top tourist attraction in China, was temporarily closed to the public after its roof collapsed on May 20 (local time).

An official statement from the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Fengyang County said no injuries were reported, but the incident prompted tourists to flee as hundreds of tiles fell from the structure.

Following the incident, local officials promptly cleared the area of bystanders and set up barriers to secure the site.

The tower is a major tourist attraction located approximately 200 miles away from Beijing. It was originally built in 1375 during the Ming Dynasty and reconstructed in 1995.

In a report by BBC, the tower had shown signs of damage as early as 2017, which gave rise to a repair project launched in September 2023 and completed in March 2024, with the contract reportedly worth 2.9 million yuan.

Videos circulated on Chinese social media showed people running as parts of the roof collapsed. Some users expressed concern and disbelief over the collapse, while others called for support and restoration. The site will remain closed until further notice. (John Clyron Matillano, CT-TC Intern)

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