Overview
- Local authorities say a visitor’s improper use of candles and incense likely sparked the November 12 blaze at the Wenchang Pavilion on Fenghuang Mountain in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu.
- No injuries were reported, and firefighters contained the flames before they could spread to surrounding forested areas.
- Dramatic video widely shared on social media showed the three-storey wooden structure engulfed in flames and sections of the roof collapsing.
- Officials noted the pavilion, commissioned in 2008 and completed in 2009, did not house ancient architectural relics and was managed by the neighboring Yongqing Temple.
- A formal investigation is underway, with authorities pledging tighter fire precautions and stating that restoration in the site’s traditional style is expected once the probe concludes.