Collapse of pavilion prompts concerns

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A replica of an ancient pavilion in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, collapsed during a storm on Wednesday, the second such incident in several weeks, prompting concerns over safety.

Jixian Pavilion collapsed about 1:20 pm, according to the city's fire service. No injuries were reported.

The pavilion was constructed in 2002 and modeled after a structure built during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) in a scenic spot. It stood on an island in West Lake, connected to the bank by a bridge.

Calls to the lake's management committee went unanswered on Wednesday, although some media quoted the committee as saying a thunderstorm caused the collapse.

The Hangzhou meteorological station issued a thunderstorm warning around 1:30 pm on Wednesday.

"When I arrived at the scene in the afternoon， it was cordoned off, and many people were gathered outside the line," said Li Zhong, a photographer in Hangzhou. "Most of the roof had fallen into the water, and the four wood pillars of the pavilion broke in the middle, but its concrete foundation remained largely intact.

"Dozens of workers were on site, with several boats on the water."

Li said he suspected strong winds and heavy rains caused the collapse.

Zhou Gang, an architecture professor at Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, said there may have been other factors besides the severe weather that caused the building to collapse.

"Any building properly designed and built should be able to withstand unexpected weather in most cases," he said. "Many factors, including materials used, structure and style of the building, can affect its stability."

Zhou said by checking the breaking points of the pavilion it is easy to assess the building's construction quality.

Rules and standards for the design and construction of buildings imitating ancient buildings are inadequate, Zhou said.

In a similar accident in August, two people were killed and one person was injured when an arch, built in October 2001, collapsed on a popular tourism attraction in Qinghefang Street, in the center of Hangzhou and close to West Lake. The arch was built in the style of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), when Hangzhou was the capital.

About the broadcaster:

Nelly Min is an editor at China Daily with more than 10 years of experience as a newspaper editor and photographer. She has worked at major newspapers in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press. She is also fluent in Korean.