Downpours damage wall of China's Pingyao ancient town

TAIYUAN -- Heavy rains in North China's Shanxi province have damaged a wall section of the ancient town of Pingyao, and repair work is underway, local authorities said Thursday.

The partial collapse, measuring 25 meters in length, happened at an inner-wall section of the town at around 6:30 am 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.