1. Lingguan Mansion complex at Jiulong Temple in Mianzhu, Sichuan Province
The 16-story structure was said to be the tallest wooden pagoda in Asia. No casualties were reported in the incident, and the cause of the blaze is under investigation.
According to local media reports, the original Lingguan Mansion was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and destroyed in a magnitude 8 earthquake that hit Sichuan in 2008. The temple, with what was considered the tallest wooden tower in Asia, later became restored but remained under construction when the fire broke out. The cause of the blaze is still unknown.
2. National Museum of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro
A huge fire engulfed Brazil's 200-year-old National Museum in Rio de Janeiro, lighting up the night sky with towering flames as firefighters and museum workers raced to save historical relics from the blaze.
The esteemed museum, which houses artifacts from Egypt, Greco-Roman art and some of the first fossils found in Brazil, was closed to the public at the time of the fire, which broke out at 7:30 pm Sunday local time, it said in a statement.
3. Gongchenlou in Weishan county, Southwest China's Yunnan Province
A fire broke out Jan 3, 2015, at Gongchenlou, an ancient tower built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), in Weishan County, Yunnan Province. Although no casualties were reported, the conflagration destroyed most of the 600-year-old landmark, which was listed as a provincial-level cultural relic.
4. Dukezong Ancient Town in Shangri-la, a resort county in Southwest China's Yunnan Province
An ancient town in Shangri-la, a resort county in Southwest China's Yunnan Province, caught fire on Jan 11, 2014.
The blaze was under control by 2 pm, without causing injury or death.
According to the local government, a total area of 40,000 square meters, with 335 households, was affected by the fire. 242 houses were destroyed.
(Source: China Daily)
