The county government insisted that the temple be rebuilt at a different location, though nothing further has been done in two years.

In early July, 13 granaries that dated back to the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and were nominated as one of 10 most important archeological discoveries of 2009 came under the wrecking ball for business development in Zhenjiang city, East China's Jiangsu province, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Most developers destroy the cultural relics before they receive a notice from the local administration of cultural heritage to avoid costly delays in construction, a real estate industry insider told Xinhua.

"The current environment is harsh for heritage preservation work, because many regional governments continue to give priority to economic development instead of cultural protection," said Guan Qiang, director of the department of cultural heritage conservation at the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.

"However, the preservation of historical relics is not just the work of archaeologists. It needs everyone's participation, including developers, governments and individuals," Guan said.

Lin Liugen, who exposed the destruction of the 13 ancient grain barns, suggested that China needs to consider setting up funding for archaeological work, which could include imposing compensation fees on property developers.