In one Chinese province, the government literally paves a highway around homeowners who refuse to move
The new highway Wenling, Zhejiang province in China is wide, well paved and almost finished. Almost finished except for the five-storey house sitting right in the middle of it.
Luo Baogen and his wife from Xiazhangyang village did not feel they were being offered enough compensation to relocate when Chinese government decided to build a highway where their house was. So the government built the highway … leaving the house in the middle of the road.
Although they occupy only one unit, the neighbouring rooms have been left standing for their safety, reports Chinadaily. No other units are occupied as all the couple’s neighbours have moved out.
Not all aspects of the building are created equally. The couple’s bedroom is in good repair with a hardwood floor. The unit still has electricity. However, the kitchen is mostly demolished.
During most of the Communist rule in China private ownership of property was abolished, but recently the laws have been tightened up making it illegal to demolish property by force without the owner’s agreement.
This has lead to a series of incidents in China where odd, old homes are left untouched in the middle of massive construction sites. These houses are often called “nail houses†in reference to old, gnarled nails that can not easily be pulled out of boards.
Below is the house of Yang Wu and his family. In 2004, Yang refused to sell and the construction company dug a giant pit around his house. Yang and his family then broke into the construction site, created a set of makeshift stairs to the building and raised a Chinese flag on the roof.
Yang, a martial arts champion, then challenged all comers to enter the house and attempt to throw him out. The property gained status as the “hardest nail house†in China.
The property was eventually demolished in 2007, and it is unclear if Yang actually did get his payday.