Hundreds of tiles from the Fengyang Drum Tower in China fell from the roof in the Anhui province. Debris rained down the 650-year-old tower and visitors were seen scrambling to save themselves. Videos from the scene capturing the shocking incident are now surfacing on social media. Thankfully, no one was injured in the entire ordeal.
Roof Of Ming Dynasty’s Fengyang Drum Tower Collapses In China
NEW: The roof of a 650-year-old drum tower in Anhui, China, collapses.
The incident happened at the Fengyang Drum Tower in eastern China. Officials have since launched an investigation.
The structure was first built in 1375 during the Ming Dynasty.
Part of the building was… pic.twitter.com/5Py0YJOGak
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 20, 2025
Built in 1375, the Fengyang Drum Tower was used to announce the beginning of ceremonies centuries ago. Located in China’s Anhui province, about 322 km from Beijing, it is a major tourist attraction. It is one of the largest such towers in the country and witnesses thousands of visitors every day.
According to an NDTV report, while the initial structure was first built in 1375 during the Ming Dynasty, a part of it was ruined in 1853 during the Qing Dynasty. It was rebuilt in 1995, almost 150 years later. Again, in 2023, a restoration project was launched to revamp the centuries-old tower. The revamp work was finished in March 2024.
However, the roof of the Fengyang Drum Tower partially collapsed on Monday, around 6:30 PM (local time). Videos surfacing on social media have captured sections of the roof collapsing and narrowly missing the nearby visitors. People could also be seen scrambling to save themselves as the tiles from the tower collapsed.
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No Injuries Reported, Incident Under Investigation
On the evening of May 19, tiles fell from the Ming Zhongdu Drum Tower in Fengyang County, China.
Built in 1375 during the Ming Dynasty, the tower recently underwent repairs costing over 3.41 million yuan.
No injuries were reported, and authorities are currently investigating… pic.twitter.com/mrD9E4ybaD
— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) May 19, 2025
As per the Fengyang County Culture and Tourism Bureau statement, there were no injuries reported after the Fengyang Drum Tower collapsed in China. Reportedly, the local administration was successfully able to move all the bystanders from the scene of the incident. Following the collapse, the officials secured the tower area. They have also launched an investigation to understand the cause of the incident and the repair project’s design and construction.
As per the latest updates, the Fengyang Drum Tower in China is currently shut down to carry out the repair works. The reopening date is due to be announced at a later date.
Let us know your thoughts about this incident in the comments.
Cover Image Courtesy: X/@CollinRugg
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