‘Please god say it wasn’t an American’: Sacred Chinese Temple burns to the ground thanks to an ‘irresponsible’ tourist

A sacred Chinese temple was burned down last week after a tourist’s actions led to a fire breaking out inside the building. The blaze was reportedly caused by improper use of candles and incense within the temple, thankfully nobody was harmed during the incident.

Footage of the disaster at the Wenchang Pavilion on Fenghuang Mountain in Zhangjiagang has already found its way online with netizens branding the unnamed tourist “careless” and “irresponsible.” Authorities have yet to properly assess the damage done to the structure although in the clips online the building is seen engulfed in flames as the wood roof collapses due to the damage.

What started the fire?

Investigators claimed that the fire was caused by a tourist improperly using incense and candles as per the Daily Mail. What exactly is meant by this isn’t entirely clear. So far there have been no further updates on what started the fire although it’s not difficult to imagine an ignorant tourist ignoring warnings and doing something foolish.

Online people mourned the loss of the beautiful three-storey temple and mocked the unknown tourist, “Please god say it wasn’t an American,” wrote one person, Others went as far as to suggest that the tourist be sent to a firing squad for their carelessness. 

However, not everyone blamed the tourist, some questioned why visitors would even be allowed to handle open flames in a building made largely out of wood. “Do they just let anyone in to burn candles?” asked another, before adding, “Seems kind of weird.” Others suggested that the fire may have been started intentionally by the owners.

The aftermath

While it may have been a beautifully built temple, the loss isn’t as bad as it seems. As a matter of fact, the Wenchang Pavilion is not some ancient piece of Chinese history that has now been lost thanks to the actions of this tourist. It was actually built 15 years ago and authorities have already confirmed that it did not contain any cultural relics of significance. It may have looked old but it was an entirely modern construction.

While that doesn’t change the fact that a tourist still burnt down a temple and put many lives in danger, at least it’s not a Notre Dame situation where a building that has stood for centuries was nearly destroyed by an out-of-control fire.

Thankfully the fire also didn’t spread to the surrounding forest either as that could have potentially led to wildfires. At present, authorities are looking into whether further action needs to be taken to prevent incidents like this in the future. The building will supposedly be rebuilt after an assessment of the damage is complete. It’s also not clear whether the tourist will be charged for their actions.