Sacred temple bursts into flames after tourist makes devastating mistake

A sacred temple in Jiangsu, China went up in flames after a visitor made a devastating mistake while visiting the site.

The unfortunate incident took place at Wenchang Pavilion, on Fenghuang Mountain in Zhangjiagang on Wednesday, with the three story structure having been engulfed by flames from top to bottom at around 11am local time.

Officials thankfully were able to confirm that there were no casualties, and the blaze was contained enough to not spread to the dense surrounding forest areas.

However, the destruction left in the aftermath shows the scale of the disaster, with the portions of the roof collapsing in video shared on social media.

An investigation into the cause of the blaze is now in progress, however, early findings indicate that the fire was likely caused by a visitor’s improper use of candles and incense at the historic site.

Authorities also assured that the pavilion, built in October 2009, contained no cultural relics and no significant historic trinkets were lost.

The current pavilion was commissioned back in 2008 - completed in 2009 - built with a reinforced concrete frame and is one of several modern constructions on the site.

The structure had been managed by the neighbouring Yongqing Temple after completion, with the original Yongning Temple dating back over 1500 years.

The original temple was built in 536 in the Southern Liang dynasty on Fenghuang Mountain.

It also carries the significance of being one of the 'four hundred eighty splendid temples' of the Southern Dynasties in the poem composed by the famous Tang Dynasty poet Du Mu.

Wenchang Pavilion in particular, was one part of the temple that housed the hermitage of Shi Nai'an at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and was the place where he wrote Water Margin, a novel that is considered one of the four masterpieces of Chinese literature.

The current temple, however, was rebuilt in the 1990s.

As the investigation continues, local authorities have pledged to take further action depending on its findings, while also strengthening existing safety measures in place to reduce the risk of another catastrophic blaze.

The latest fire comes just two years after flames ripped through a centuries-old temple in China, almost reducing the building to a pile of ash.

Shandan Great Buddha Temple in Gansu province’s Shandan County was decimated by a fire back in 2023, with a giant Buddha statue engulfed by flames.

Although the fire was successfully put out and the statue appeared to remain partially intact, the surrounding structures had been destroyed.