Mar. 12, 2010 -- A day of hail last weekend wreaked havoc on a thousand-year-old town in Fujian Province. Hundreds of ancient buildings in the town of "Heping" have been severely damaged.

Now as reconstruction becomes a top priority, local government and residents have found that the main obstacle is the buildings' tiny tiles.

Now as reconstruction becomes a top priority, local government and residents have found that the main obstacle is the buildings' tiny tiles.

Located in northwestern Fujian Province, Heping took shape in the Tang Dynasty. It has been honored as a tourists' destination, valued highly for historic and cultural aspects. Some seven hundred structures built between four to six centuries ago still remain.

But the hailstones that struck on Friday, which were said to be the heaviest in 100 years, ravaged about four hundred of these buildings. Many rooftop tiles were shattered, exposing the houses to further damage.

It is now proving difficult to replace the broken tiles.

Chen Xiaogang, official from Town of Heping, said, "We want to keep the original appearance and style of the buildings. So the best choice is to restore the rooftops with tiles as old as the original ones. They are very different from today's tiles, in size and shape. "

It is estimated that a minimum of five million tiles will be needed for the restoration work.

Determined to restore the original look of their homes, many residents have had to travel to remote villages to collect tiles. Even though they are willing to pay a high price, they are still difficult to find.

Meanwhile, the local government has launched a nationwide search for the tiles. Several groups have been designated outside the province to buy the right ones. Currently, they have returned with less than two million units.

While the search continues, the government is also considering the use of replica tiles.