China
22:42, 18-Sep-2017
Shanghai temple pulls off feat in shifting 2,000-tonne hall
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The main hall and statues of a century-old Buddhist temple in central Shanghai have been moved 30 meters on rails to ease crowding at the popular site.
As many as 100,000 people visit the Jade Buddha Temple every day and local authorities were concerned about overcrowding and the fire risk created by visitors burning incense.
The solution? To delicately place the 2,000-tonne Mahavira Hall on specially-constructed rails and move it slightly northwards to create more space in adjacent areas.
The job, which involved elevating the building by a meter, was completed on Sunday after just two weeks of efforts.
The temple complex was established in 1882, with the hall built between 1918 and 1928.
Buddhist statues and relics in the hall were wrapped up for protection and moved along, People's Daily said.
The big move is part of a wider project started in July 2014 to alleviate "severe fire safety and public security concerns", said a representative from the temple.
Source(s): AFP