Wind topples giant statue of China''s first emperor

BEIJING: A strong galeforce wind has toppled a giant statue of Chinas first emperor Qin Shi Huang and flattened its face at a popular tourist site in eastern Shandong province

Updated At : 11:52 PM Apr 09, 2018 IST

This combination of images shows a picture (top) taken on September 7, 2015 of a statue of China''s first emperor Qin Shi Huang, and a picture (bottom) taken on April 9, 2018 of the pedestal of the statue (unseen) after it is toppled by wind in Binzhou in China''s eastern Shandong province. AFP

Beijing, April 9

A strong gale-force wind has toppled a giant statue of China's first emperor Qin Shi Huang and flattened its face at a popular tourist site in eastern Shandong province.

The 19-metre bronze replica of the monarch -- who was the first to unify warring factions in China and established the Qin dynasty (221-206 BC) -- was blown out of its pedestal on Friday.

Cranes were immediately called in to pick up the statue, which weighs about six tonnes, according to the state-run Peoples' Daily newspaper.

Photographs showed the structure was hollow, with metal bars inside.

The monument was built in 2005 to attract visitors to a local tourist resort. - AFP

Wind topples giant statue of China''s first emperor

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