TAIYUAN, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) --Heavy rains in north China's Shanxi Province have damaged a wall section of the ancient town of Pingyao, and repair work is underway.
The partial collapse, measuring 25 meters in length, happened at an inner-wall section of the town at around 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, causing no casualties, said the publicity department of the Party committee of Pingyao County.
Officials and cultural relics protection experts rushed to the scene in an emergency response to prevent a secondary collapse and protect the safety of residents and tourists.
With a history of 2,700 years, Pingyao is famous for its well-preserved ancient architecture.
It was named a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1997.
Continuous downpours are the biggest threat to the open-air clay architecture of the wall.
Produced by Xinhua Global Service
