A man who turned down a relocation offer now finds himself with a motorway built around his house in China. The situation looks awkward in the photos, and the man himself admits, “I regret it a bit.”
The Story
Huang Ping’s two-storey home in Jinxi, China, is now surrounded by a construction site, and the constant noise and dust from the builders are taking a toll on him. He regrets turning down the £180,000 (around ₹2 crore) relocation offer, as the once peaceful environment has become increasingly difficult to live in.
As the road is getting built around his two-storey house and the roof of his house is almost at the same level as the motorway, Huang is bit worried about his family. He lives with his 11-year-old grandson, now spending most of his day in the town center to escape the noise and dust from the ongoing work. Huang Ping feels like he’s “lost a big bet” as his home shakes from the construction.
With the motorway set to open soon, he worries about the noise and disruption it will bring. Reflecting on his decision, he now realizes that staying was a mistake, and the impact on his daily life has become undeniable. “If I could turn back time, I would agree to the demolition conditions they offered. Now it feels like I lost a big bet,” he said.
Pictures show the roof of the house almost level with two lanes of the motorway, which bypass the property before coming back together. A video circulating online shows Huang Ping’s house sitting in the middle of a highway under construction. In a video, people can be seen walking through a long tunnel to reach Huang’s property, clearly intrigued by the unusual situation. Despite being on private land, the house is surrounded by dust and construction equipment, highlighting the challenges Huang faces as construction continues around him.
The stubborn old Chinese man who refused to sell his house for a government project now regrets his decision.
Huang Ping, from Hunan province, hoped for more money but lost everything. The government built a road around his house, leaving it in the middle of a busy street. Now,… pic.twitter.com/it0rYe2fhd
— Ibra ❄️ (@IbraHasan_) January 25, 2025
What Authorities Say
Various reports suggested that the Jinxi County Party Committee secretary previously said Huang refused to relocate because he was dissatisfied with the government’s offer.
After a long period of fruitless negotiations, the authorities designed a bypass on both sides of Huang’s house to advance the motorway’s construction.
Residents have since flocked to the area to take photos, with people dubbing Huang the “strong nail house owner” in China. A nail house is a Chinese term for an occupied home whose owners are holding out against property development.
