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Yongqing Temple Pavilion Destroyed in China Fire as Investigators Eye Improper Incense

Authorities clarified the burned structure was a 2009 reconstruction with no cultural relics.

Overview

  • The overnight blaze consumed the three‑story Wenchang Pavilion at the Yongqing complex in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu.
  • No injuries were reported as firefighters contained the flames after several hours and prevented spread to nearby structures and forests.
  • A preliminary statement from the incident team points to improper use of incense or candles by a visitor as the likely ignition source, with penalties to follow under local rules.
  • The municipal government said the site’s existing buildings are modern, specifying the destroyed pavilion was built in 2009 and did not house registered cultural relics.
  • Viral videos documented intense flames, while conservation specialists and locals weighed difficult reconstruction, community fundraising and tighter fire‑prevention steps.