An old temple hangs half in air after its foundation sank in a village in Taiyuan, North China's Shanxi province, Feb 13, 2014. [Photo/IC]

An old temple hanging half in air has attracted public's attention on the environment after the structure's foundation sank in a village in Taiyuan, North China's Shanxi province.

The temple, which was built in brick and wood, dates back to more than 100 years. The excessive sand mining practices have been blamed for the destructive impact on the ancient temple, according to Li Zhancai, a local forest ranger in his 60s.

Li has been looking after the temple for the past 10 years. He urged the public and the authorities to address the environmental problems and guard the ancient architecture.