Since early April this year, the Light Pagoda at Huaisheng Mosque on Guangta Road, Guangzhou, a state protected monument, has tilted to such a degree that the outer plaster on its southern enclosing wall has peeled off and a crack has appeared in the wall. As the wall is connected to the pagoda, any collapse would pull down the pagoda; as a precaution, mosque managers have installed several wooden posts to reinforce the foundation of the pagoda which is now tilting by 1.5776 meters as measured by Guangzhou Housing Appraisal Firm on December 13, 2000.

Since 2003, Guangzhou Design Institute and some other organizations have conducted joint testing of the Light Pagoda and in May 2005, a test report and restoration proposal was submitted to the Guangzhou Culture Bureau and Guangzhou Administration of Ethnic and Religious Affairs. Local authorities have allocated RMB 10 million for a restoration project.

The city's Construction Commission has emphasized that the restoration project should not alter the original appearance of the pagoda as this 1,300 year old historic and religious structure is a key monument under state protection.

Historical documents show that the Light Pagoda at the Huaisheng Mosque was built in 627 A.D., to commemorate the introduction of Islam to China. The pagoda was designated a key heritage site under state protection by the State Council in 1996.

Historically, the pagoda has also served as a beacon, guiding navigators to Guangzhou, which was the starting point of the Maritime Silk Route.

Archeological surveys suggest that the Light Pagoda is not only China's oldest Islamic structure, but also the oldest standing minaret in the world.

Editor: Yan