Heavy rain in Tainan has caused part of a 300-year-old national heritage gate to collapse, a setback for Taiwan's heritage protection efforts but with no injuries reported.

• The side wall of the Great East Gate, part of the old Taiwan Prefecture city wall, gave way early in the morning after a burst of heavy rain.
• The gate has been under restoration since late last year and was still surrounded by scaffolding when it fell.
• City officials believe rainwater seeped through cracks in the upper slab and soaked the brick and earth base until it gave way.
• Work from an earlier 1970s restoration may have left the base weaker than it looked, and the culture ministry has been asked to investigate.
• The site sits at a busy road junction, so police have moved in to control traffic while sandbags and tarps hold the structure.

Outlook: Emergency shoring goes in first, then the collapse repair will be folded into the ongoing restoration once inspectors decide what caused it.