Footage has captured the spectacular collapse of a 650-year-old Chinese tower, which rained down debris on unsuspecting tourists.

The video shows hundreds of tiles slipping off the top roof of the multiple-level pagoda-style Fengyang Drum Tower this week.

The cascading tiles triggered a destructive domino effect, causing lower roof levels to crumble and crash to the ground in a cloud of dust.

The ancient drum tower, built in 1375, is a major tourist attraction in Anhui province, about 320 kilometres from Beijing.

It is said to be one of the largest towers of its kind in China, according to state media.

Video taken from a number of angles shows sightseers milling around in a public square near the tower’s walls just before the disaster.

The tourists are sent scrambling as the building crashes to the ground and creates a huge plume.

Local media are reporting that no-one was badly injured and an investigation is underway.

The tower had undergone a major rebuild in 1995, and was under renovation since 2023, The Shanghai Daily reports.

Authorities reportedly ushered away the public after the incident and have closed off the area while the clean-up and investigation take place.