Fire destroys ancient Tibetan town in SW China
Source: AP-EXCITE
By DIDI TANG
BEIJING (AP) - A fire that raged for nearly 10 hours Saturday razed an ancient Tibetan town in southwest China that's popular with tourists, burning down hundreds of buildings as fire engines were unable to get onto the narrow streets, state media and witnesses said.
There was no immediate report of any casualties, and the cause of the fire was not yet known. State media, citing local authorities, said the blaze started in a guesthouse and was ruled accidental.
The fire broke out at about 1:30 a.m. in the ancient Tibetan quarter of Dukezong, which dates back more than 1,000 years and is known for its preserved cobbled streets, ancient structures and Tibetan culture. Dukezong is part of scenic Shangri-La county in Deqen prefecture.
Once called Gyaitang Zong, the county renamed itself Shangri-La in 2001, hoping to draw tourists by the reference to the mythical Himalayan land described in James Hilton's 1933 novel. Like hundreds of Chinese cities and counties, Shangri-La renovated its old neighborhood, Dukezong, turning it into a tourist attraction filled with shops and guesthouses.
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A firefighter works on a roof of a wooden building while a fire ravages ancient Dukezong town in Shangri-la county, in southwestern China's Yunnan province, Saturday Jan. 11, 2014. The 10-hour inferno has razed the ancient Tibetan town in the province that's popular with tourists. (AP Photo) CHINA OUT
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