After several buildings of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) were destroyed by a school in Nanyang, Henan province, the local government asked for them to be rebuilt. However, the originals can never be replaced, said a column in People's Daily (excerpts below).

The nine buildings had been standing in Nanyang for more than 100 years. On one night they were reduced to ruins by a local school expanding its facilities.

This situation highlights a growing problem. Many heritage sites are being destroyed to make way for development.

Profit is the motive as land sales generate revenue for local governments.

In contrast, the penalty for destroying historical buildings is extremely light.

It is high time to stop the destruction of historical buildings through both legislation and the stricter enforcement of laws. We need to act before they are all gone.