A ramshackle 10-storey home in Xingyi, Guizhou, was converted into a pyramid-shaped structure made of plywood rooms stacked on one another. Local authorities removed the multi-storey build and returned the stone bungalow to its original single-storey form within hours. The owner, Chen Tianming, spent about 200,000 yuan over eight years to create the attraction and said he felt no regret because the destruction force was too powerful. Authorities had threatened removal for years, citing missing building permits and safety hazards. The surrounding village was mostly demolished in 2018 for a planned tourist resort, and Chen refused to leave, building higher in defiance. In August 2024, officials ordered him to destroy everything except the original bungalow, followed by a final notice in May.
"A ramshackle 10-storey home that had become an offbeat tourist attraction in south-western China has been torn down, ending a years-long battle between the structure's owner and local authorities. Chen Tianming said local authorities took just hours to return the stone bungalow which had been transformed into a pyramid-shaped structure of plywood rooms stacked upon one another back down to its original single storey. I don't feel regret, because regret is useless, Chen told the AFP news agency. I also don't blame myself for failing to protect it it's just that the force driving its destruction was simply too powerful."
"Authorities in Guizhou province have long threatened to remove the multi-storey structure that was held together by bamboo scaffolding, saying it lacked the necessary building permits and was a safety hazard. Chen's home village of Xingyi was mostly demolished in 2018, as authorities planned to build a tourist resort in the region known for its otherworldly mountain landscapes. Chen's family refused to leave, and as the resort's construction faltered he began building his home higher and higher in defiance of demolition threats by authorities."
"Chen Tianming had spent about 200,000 yuan ($29,000) over eight years to convert his family home into an unlikely tourist attraction in the village of Xingyi in Guizhou province. Visiting tourists drew comparisons between Chen's home and the intricately detailed, whimsical worlds created by Japanese animator and Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki. In August 2024, authorities labelled Chen's home an illegal construction and he was ordered to destroy everything except the original bungalow."
Read at www.theguardian.com
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