More than 70 percent of respondents in a recent survey accused government officials of destroying the country's relics for their own political benefit.

The survey polled 2,284 Internet users and was released by the social survey center of the China Youth Daily on Tuesday.

Thousands of Siheyuan - a traditional courtyard surrounded by four buildings - has been buried under tall buildings in the past decade.

Ninety-three percent of those polled supported preserving old buildings and 72 percent said ancient buildings were demolished because of government officials' push for high local GDP growth.

Of those polled, 50.8 percent were in their 20s and 31.7 percent in their 30s.

The poll came amid recent scandals in which historical sites were pulled down to make way for skyscrapers in the country.

In the past 20 years, about one-third of the former residences of celebrities in Beijing alone have been demolished, including those listed as cultural relics, the China Youth Daily reported.

Nationwide statistics on the destruction of ancient sites in similar cases are unavailable, but many believe the cases are numerous.

In April, an ancient city wall was reportedly destroyed because the transport bureau of Dali in Yunnan province wanted to broaden the road. Also in April, developers filled a scenic lake in Dali's Erhai Park to build a luxury villa.

Two weeks ago, an old blockhouse was removed to make way for railway construction in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province.

"The fate of ancient buildings is in the hands of government officials who prefer GDP growth to values of antiquity," said Wang Jilan, a 51 year-old Beijinger whose siheyuan - a traditional courtyard surrounded by four buildings - was dismantled last month.

Wang said thousands of siheyuan had been buried under tall buildings in the past decade. "I do not feel Beijing is my hometown anymore," she said.