Ancient Chinese Tower's Roof Collapses After 650 Years

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Fengyang Drum Tower in China partially collapsed on Monday, May 19, 2025. Visitors to the 650-year-old tourist site scattered after hundreds of tiles came loose and fell to the ground. The County Bureau of Culture and Tourism in Fengyang, cited by CNN Travel, stated that no visitors were injured in the incident.

A video of the historic tower collapsing circulated on social media. An eyewitness, cited by People via Yangcheng Evening News, said that the falling tiles lasted for about one or two minutes. Another witness stated that they heard loud noises from the tiles falling one by one from a shop at the entrance of the Drum Tower.

The tower, located in Fengyang County, is a major tourist attraction in Anhui Province, approximately 600 miles or 965 kilometers south of Beijing. The building was originally constructed in 1375 during the Ming Dynasty.

Drum Tower Tourist Site Closed

The County Bureau of Culture and Tourism in Fengyang stated that they are currently investigating the incident. It was also mentioned that the building had undergone maintenance in recent years due to increasingly severe damage and safety hazards. The authorities are currently taking emergency measures and have closed the location.

Originally built in 1375 during the Ming Dynasty, the Fengyang Drum Tower featured an elevated platform and upper structure. The building consists of two parts: the original Ming-era tower base and the tower above. The damage mainly occurred in the upper tower, which was rebuilt in 1995, according to local officials.

Fengyang County is renowned for its history and culture and is the hometown of Zhu Yuanzhang (Emperor Hongwu), the founder of the Ming Dynasty. He oversaw an era of prosperity driven by strong international trade and a growing population.

According to the tourism bureau, the tower had shown signs of damage, including tiles and the roof, since 2017. The local government launched a restoration project in February 2023, with construction taking place from September 2023 to March 2024.

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