Imagine strolling through a serene historical site and suddenly hearing hundreds of roof tiles crash down from above.
That’s exactly what visitors to the ancient Fengyang Drum Tower in eastern China experienced this week.
A scene more action movie than museum tour.
Built in 1375, the towering structure once marked the rhythm of daily life during the Ming dynasty.
But on Monday, the rhythm turned chaotic.
What Happened?
The roof shed tile after tile, sending a cloud of dust and startled onlookers into retreat.
“It lasted a minute or two,” one witness told Yangcheng Evening News.
Another described the eerie sound of ceramic shards falling like dominoes.
Thankfully, the square below was empty.
“If it happened a little later, there would’ve been many children playing,” a local told The Beijing News.
Talk about narrowly dodging disaster.
The top part of the tower, rebuilt in 1995, bore the brunt of the damage—despite being renovated just last year.
Local officials are now investigating what went wrong.
Fengyang is no ordinary town—it’s the birthplace of the Hongwu Emperor, founder of the Ming dynasty.
He once revolutionized trade and currency. Today, his legacy might need a stronger roof.
