On May 19, 2025, the over 600-year-old Fengyang county’s (Anhui province) historic Drum Tower partially collapsed. Tens of hundreds of roof tiles went smashing to the street below. This massive, centuries-old expanse has been for years one of China’s biggest tourist draws, sitting just 200 miles from Beijing, the nation’s capital. Thankfully, the crash took place in a vacant plaza — and no one was injured.
The Drum Tower consists of two main parts: the original Ming-era base and the tower constructed on top. After earlier renovations after the initial construction, the upper section was completely rebuilt in 1995. Only a year ago, the building was able to make some new renovations and fix damage to its roof. Under Monday’s incident, loose tiles were reported to have dropped for one to two minutes. Local officials all but verified the damages, focusing on the top part of the spire where most of the damage occurred.
Fengyang County has a long history with an outstanding culture of fengyang. Most noted as the birthplace of Hongwu Emperor and founding Ming Dynasty patriarch Zhu Yuanzhang. This historical significance adds to the Drum Tower’s charm, as it represents a period when China transformed its economy by replacing traditional silver and gold currency with paper money.
Eyewitnesses reported a horrifying scene as they watched the tiles drop. As one witness wrote, “The tile drop period went on for at least a minute or two. One of our first participants sent us this beautiful reflection. They stated, “If the collapse would have occurred a little later in the evening, many children would have been playing around the tower after dinner time.
Local officials have started to evaluate damage to the structure and are likely to soon announce short-term plans to restore it. The recent incident has caused fears among residents and tourists alike as to the future of valuable historical sites in the area.
