A huge fire yesterday reduced a 16-storey Buddhist pagoda to rubble in China.

The Lingguan Tower, billed as 'Asia's tallest wooden pagoda', burnt to the ground after being engulfed in the flames for about four hours.

The fire reportedly started from a hall underneath the pagoda and quickly spread to the wooden structure.

Flames yesterday ripped through the Lingguan Tower, billed as 'Asia's tallest wooden pagoda'

The pagoda, which was a part of the Nine Dragons Monastery in Sichuan Province, had 16 storeys and was being rebuilt when the fire occurred (pictured before being destroyed)

The holy site was reduced to rubble after blaze engulfed it for four hours yesterday afternoon

The fire started at around 12:40pm at the Main Hall of the Nine Dragons Monastery, which is situated in Mianzhu city, Sichuan Province, reported People's Daily Online.

The Buddhist temple is known as the Jiulong Monastery in Chinese.

High winds quickly pushed the blaze towards the pagoda as well as the Hall of Arhan near the Main Hall, said the report.

The three buildings occupied an area of more than 800 square metres (8,611 square feet).

Aerial view of Asia's tallest wood pagoda burnt in fire at Jiulong Temple in Jiulong, Mianzhu

Firefighters hose water to extinguish fire in Lingguan Tower after it got burnt down

No casualties have been reported so far. The Main Hall and the Hall of Arhan were said to be destroyed too.

Situated seven kilometres (4.3 miles) outside of Mianzhu city, the original Nine Dragons Monastery was destroyed in an earthquake in 2010.

Construction workers had spent seven years rebuilding the holy site before the fire occurred. The monastery was destroyed before its construction was complete.

The Mianzhu authority is investigating the cause of the fire.

The fire started at around 12:40pm at the Main Hall of the monastery which was also destroyed