Mention a building or a place and a city will soon come to one's mind. For example, the Eiffel Tower – Paris. The Forbidden City – Beijing. The Colosseum – Rome.

The Baojing Dong village in Guizhou province on April 15, 2013 before a fire. More than 100 houses in the village were destroyed by fire on Jan 25, 2014. [Photo/CFP]

Places that bear historic or cultural importance to a city are known as cultural landmarks, which are cultural or spiritual symbols of a city.

Protecting them can raise the image of a city. However, damage or destruction means the great loss of a city's cultural treasure.

Here we list a few cultural landmarks that have been damaged or disappeared in China's cities, either by natural disaster, negligence or even demolition.