The "burger hotel" stands in a narrow gully between two steep cliffs in Yanchuan, Shaanxi province. [Photo provided to China Daily]

A photo of a hotel built in a narrow gully between two steep cliffs in northeastern China became a hit online, as netizens joked that it looks like a roujiamo, a kind of Chinese burger.

The eight-story building in Yanchuan county, Shaanxi province, was built in 2016. Part of it is only as far as 4 meters from the steep cliffs.

Asked whether the hotel had been built legally, an person identified as an employee was quoted by Beijing Youth Daily as saying the construction had been approved in advance by several government departments.

Building in a mountainous area mainly depends on geological conditions, Xie Xiongyao, vice-dean of Tongji University's College of Civil Engineering, told China Daily. "If rocks are bare, there's no problem with building nearby," Xie said.

The hotel was built in the southern part of the county, which features many loess hills and gullies. Mudslides and landslides are occasionally reported.

According to Beijing Youth Daily, workers stabilized the surrounding hills before the hotel was constructed, although warning signs have been placed around the property warning guests of the possibility of falling rocks.

In Shanghai, a five-star hotel is being built in a former quarry and is expected to be completed this year.