The Fengyang Drum Tower, constructed in 1375, historically served to signal the start of ceremonies and mark the time of day, making it one of China’s largest towers of its kind, as reported by state media.

The tower is a major tourist attraction in Anhui province, which is around 320 kilometres away from Beijing, China’s capital.

However, on Monday, the usual calm at the site was abruptly disturbed when hundreds of roof tiles started sliding off, crashing to the ground, and generating a massive cloud of gray-brown dust.

Another witness described how he heard the crisp sound of one tile falling after another from a shop at the entrance of the Drum Tower.

“If it happened a little later, there would be many children playing (near the tower) after dinner.”

The collapse happened just a year after the tower was renovated following minor damage to the roof.

However, the building consists of two parts: the original Ming-era tower base and the tower on top of it.

Fengyang county is famous for its history and culture, and was the hometown of Zhu Yuanzhang (the Hongwu Emperor), founder of the Ming dynasty.

He oversaw a prosperous era fueled by strong international trade and a growing population.

During this time, China replaced its traditional currency of silver and gold with paper money.