Ancient mosque intact after 6.5-magnitude quake in Yunnan  

云南鲁甸200余年清真古寺 经历强震完好无损(图)

Ludian (ECNS) -- A 234-year-old mosque in Ludian county of Yunnan province stayed intact after a 6.5-magnitude quake, the strongest in 14 years in the area.

The Tuogu Mosque, built during Yongzheng's reign of the Qing Dynasty (644–1911), lies in Taoyuan Hui township, 10 kilometers east of Ludian county.

The distance between the mosque and the epicenter of the quake in Laolongshan township, Ludian county, is around 30 kilometers.

A senior villager who lives next to the mosque said cracks are visible in the walls of his house, but the mosque is surprisingly intact. It has survived many quakes, he said, adding that it leaned to one side after one quake, but another one put it back later.

Ma Guancai, who is in charge of teaching at the mosque, said mortise-and-tenon joints were used in the ancient building. "Despite no nails in the entire building, it is still secure, unlike our modern houses, which seem to be safe, but are actually not."

The mosque has experienced more than 20 quakes of 5-magnitude or above in dozens of years.

The death toll from the earthquake that struck the area on Sunday rose to 589, with nine people missing, the provincial civil affairs department said Wednesday.

Nearly 80,000 houses have collapsed, and 124,000 others were seriously damaged, it said.