A major fire gutted one of Taipei's best-known temples, and while no one was hurt, the damage to the historic hall is severe.

• Flames tore through the Lingxiao Hall at Zhinan Temple in Taipei's Wenshan district, destroying the entire ground floor and part of the second.
• Nobody was injured, and the cause is still being investigated.
• The building burned fast because it is mostly wood and sits in a spot with narrow mountain roads and little water nearby.
• Statues in the worst-hit halls were damaged, though the Jade Emperor statue upstairs survived.
• Mayor Chiang Wan-an set up a single city office to handle rebuilding and promised to speed up approvals.

Outlook: Inspectors will decide what can be saved and what has to come down, while the rest of the temple stays open to visitors.