Fire, safety hazards found at Chinese cultural heritage sites, while authorities warn of flood risks

Officials have found 140 potential fire hazards at 60 cultural heritage sites across the country

They also warned about flood season, which has hit some areas known for museums and heritage sites

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Asia’s tallest wood tower, the Jiulong temple, was destroyed by fire in Sichuan in 2017. Photo: Getty Images

Published: 8:00am, 24 Jul 2021

Chinese government officials have found 140 potential fire hazards at 60 cultural heritage sites across the country, including open flames, damaged electrical wires and improper incense burning.

“For cultural relics and museum units that have major safety hazards, they must suspend business or stop work for rectification, and resolutely prevent major cultural relics safety incidents from occurring,” read a notice from China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) this week.

Firefighters put out a blaze that destroyed the Jiulong temple in 2017 in Sichuan, China. Photo: Getty Images

Other examples of potential fire hazards were power points installed directly into the cultural relic, blocked fire hydrants and low water pressure for fire hosepipes.

“It is necessary to lay a solid foundation for safety and effectively improve emergency response capabilities,” said the notice.

Lam Weng Cheong, an assistant professor at the Department of Anthropology of Chinese University Hong Kong, said notices like these are relatively common and act as a nudge for regional and local governments to perform safety checks.