A 600-year-old historic tower in China experienced a partial structural failure, with distressing video footage leading observers to marvel at the fortunate absence of reported casualties.
On May 19 at approximately 6:30pm local time, the Fengyang Drum Tower—which has served as one of China’s most significant towers since 1375—caused tourists to flee as roofing materials began falling from above.
Situated in Anhui province, roughly 200 miles from Beijing, social media footage from the incident captures portions of the roof structure failing and debris narrowly avoiding nearby spectators.
The Fengyang County Culture and Tourism Bureau released a statement, as reported by local media outlets, confirming that no injuries occurred during the incident.
Historical Background of the Fengyang Drum Tower
The tower’s construction dates to 1375 during the eighth year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty, according to the Fengyang County Culture and Tourism Bureau’s documentation.
The structure comprises two distinct sections: a foundational base and the tower building constructed above it.
The bureau notes that the base received designation as “a key cultural relic protection unit in Anhui Province in 1989.”
However, the original tower building was “destroyed in the third year of the Xianfeng reign of the Qing Dynasty, and the current building was built in 1995.”
This recent incident is not the first time roofing materials have detached from the structure.
Beginning in 2017, the bureau documented instances of tiles falling and “eaves damaged” in the Gulou buildings.
Due to “worsening damage and safety hazards,” authorities initiated a building maintenance project in February 2023. The tower closed in September for renovations that reportedly lasted approximately five months.
Eyewitness Accounts and Investigation
Video documentation of the recent partial roof failure, along with witness testimonies, has since appeared online.
Recordings from the time of the incident show clouds of smoke and dust created by roofing tiles sliding from the tower structure.
One individual present at the historic site during the incident informed state-controlled publication Yangcheng Evening News that tiles continued falling for approximately “a minute or two.”
Another witness confirmed to state media outlet The Beijing News that “no one was injured,” while reflecting that “if it happened a little later” there could have been “many children playing [near the tower] after dinner.”
One online commentator observed: “I’d say it was truly amazing that none of the crowd upon which the debris fell were injured.”
“That tower is older than the USA. This is heartbreaking,” remarked a social media user.
Authorities have reportedly launched an investigation to determine the cause of the partial roof collapse.