A temple-like structure built on top of a high-rise apartment building in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, has caught a new wave of public attention after the illegally built rooftop "villa" in Beijing began being torn down.

Photos of the quasi-penthouse construction on top of a building in the Meijia Square residential complex in the city's Nanshan district were first posted online by a Sina Weibo user on Friday.

The owner of the temple, which has traditional overhanging eaves and glazed tiles decorated with dragon and phoenix sculptures, is yet to be identified. Local urban management authorities have led six failed field investigation attempts since receiving repeated complaints from residents.

The fire escape on the roof has been locked and there are two surveillance cameras watching it, reported the Guangzhou-based Nanfang Daily.

It is still unknown what kind of ritual or worship has been conducted inside the temple, but the newspaper quoted an anonymous resident as saying that the burnt ashes of offerings often fell down from the rooftop building.

The whistle-blower said the temple has existed for several years without being investigated because the owner "may have connections in the city government." Urban management officials have pledged another investigation.

Liu Mingxing, a local urban management official, told the paper that they are checking if the temple has construction permits from urban planning authorities, otherwise it will be illegal.

"If the owner fails to cooperate with the investigation, we would have to ask firefighters to open the rooftop passage to take evidence," said Liu, adding that serious punishment will be issued if the construction is found to be illegal.

The illegal penthouse in Beijing owned by Zhang Biqing, founder of an acupuncture business, is being demolished. Zhang said he is trying his best to expedite the process.

Zhang's villa drew nationwide attention last week and brought many similar structures in the country to the spotlight.