720-year-old temple destroyed in fire in Beijing
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-06-21 10:01

Some buildings of the 720-year-old Huguo Temple in Beijing were destroyed in a fire which broke out early Sunday morning with no casualty reported.

A firefighter tries to extinguish the fire engulfing the temple. Picture taken on June 20, 2004 shows the charred wooden rafters on the pitched roof of the Huguo Temple in Beijing. Some buildings of the 720-year-old Huguo Temple were destroyed in a fire occurred around 2 a.m. Sunday morning at a western side hall of the temple, and no casualty was reported. [Xinhua]

The fire occurred around 2 a.m. at a western side hall of the temple, which is located at the Xicheng District of the capital and has been under the key protection of the city since 1984.

The hall was occupied by a clothing factory some eight years ago. The fire was caused by electric sparks from a transformer in the factory, according to an official with the municipal bureau for the preservation of cultural and historical relics.

The fire was put out by fire fighters about 4 a.m. and the hall was damaged with only main structures remained, said local residents.

The Huguo Temple, which was built in Yuan Dynasty (1271-1386), is now a scenic place of the capital. Currently, there are some 10sites of building remains besides the main hall -- Jingang Hall.

Further investigation into the cause of the fire is still underway.

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