A fire likely started by a tourist’s “irresponsible candle use” and clumsy incense handling broke out in the Chinese temple Wenchang Pavilion on Wednesday, November 12.
In a video, flames and thick black smoke can be seen engulfing the sacred three-story building.
The temple, which was commissioned in 2008 and built in October 2009, sat on Fenghuang Mountain in Zhangjigang, Jiangsu province.
Luckily, no casualties were reported to result from the blaze. The temple also did not contain any ancient architectural remains.
The fire was quickly contained and did not spread to nearby forest areas.
The Wengchang Pavilion had been managed by the neighboring Yongqing Temple. That original building dates back many centuries, though the temple’s current buildings were reconstructed in the 1990s.
Local authorities made it clear that further action will be taken as the investigation progresses. Safety measures will also be increased to minimize future fire risks.
Once the investigation is complete, restoration work in the traditional architectural style of the site will commence.
The Wenchang Pavilion blaze comes after another fire occurred at the centuries-old Shandan Great Buddha Temple in Gansu province’s Shandan County in 2023. The site was nearly burnt entirely to the ground, save for a giant Buddha statue that was left partially intact.
