Storms take their toll on heritage in Shanxi

Pavilion collapses

Yanjiazhuang village, about 7 kilometers west of the Xinjiang county seat, used to house a pavilion where students prayed for academic success in ancient times. The structure was built during the Qing Dynasty.

During last month's storms, the pavilion collapsed.

Yan Yexing, 68, who lives next to the pavilion site, has strong feelings for the venue, which she has visited often. During Spring Festival and on other traditional occasions, she is one of more than 1,000 villagers who worship at the Temple of the Goddess, to which the pavilion was attached.

"The pavilion was so close to my home that I felt as though it was the backyard of my house, but I never thought that its collapse would attract reporters from Beijing," she said.

Yang Yingjie, the county cultural relics protection center director, visited the site and led his workers in removing wooden pillars for storage in a warehouse.

The small temple was decorated by red lanterns scattered on the ground after the rain.

The incense burner was filled with ashes, while a Bodhisattva statue, adorned with a red satin cloth, was covered with dust.