Wind topples giant statue of China's first emperor
BEIJING - AFP
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-meter 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 April 6.
Cranes were immediately called in to pick up the statue, which weighs about six tons, according to the state-run People's 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.
