Elderly volunteers building a mountain road have been told by authorities to stop as they did not submit an application for approval and may destroy the environment, the mountain management authority said.

Six retired workers in their 70s began to build a road in 2008 connecting two hilltops in Baiyan Mountain in Liuzhou, the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. They have since paved a 200-meter-long stone road between the peaks and built a small viewing platform.

One of the workers, with the surname of Lan, said they planned to build the road for visitors to the mountain, and began construction work for about three hours every morning, China News Service reported on Monday.

They paved the road with stone, without using concrete or reinforcing bars, and grew plants alongside the road to protect the environment, he said.

Deng Shiyu, an official with the mountain management authority, said their act is not acceptable based on management regulations, and thus halted the voluntary activity.