&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Chinese man fights to keep his 10-storey pyramid house held down with ropes deemed unsafe")
A man in China has refused to bow down to property developers by building his own 10-storey tower in a place where every other house has been razed down to build a luxury resort. Chen Tianming lives in a village in Guizhou province, where all the houses were bought and torn down in 2018. However, the 42-year-old is in no mood to give in after seven years.
His stone bungalow now looks like a pyramid with 10 storeys. The upper floors move when the wind is strong, and so he has tethered them to the ground with ropes and cables. The house is rickety and weird, with balconies and stairs poking out. It is built using plywood and contorted beams, and appears on shaky ground.
After Chen refused to give in to developers, the project failed to take off. He received several demolition notices, but defied them all and continued to raise the height of his house, adding more and more floors to it. Chinese media compares his house to the creations of legendary Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki.
He told AFP that his project started off as a practical way to expand the house, but his labyrinthine construction later turned into "an interest and hobby".
Chen's 10-storey tower in Chinese village lacks permits
Trending Stories
)
US-Iran war cost hits $37.5 billion as Hegseth seeks $67 billion more for Pentagon
)
'This should not happen in a democracy': Shashi Tharoor slams detention of Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi after protest outside PM Modi's residence
)
Kaylee Hottle was unconscious: Shocking details from first responders revealed after teen star's death
)
'Not permitted ...': IIT Roorkee issues gag order as students' protest intensifies
)
'George Soros playbook': Understanding the foreign funding network around Sonam Wangchuk
)
Is Pentagon hiding missile shortage from Trump? US officials raise alarm over Iran war readiness
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
World's top 7 most liveable cities in 2026 — Check where India and Pakistan stand
)
Sonam Wangchuk's connection with George Soros and Ford Foundation explained!
)
IND vs ZIM, 1st T20I: When and where to watch live streaming in India?
)
Student union leaders call off hunger strike at Jantar Mantar after civil society appeal, but protest continues
)
FIFA 2026 | 'I am truly sorry': Argentina's Enzo Fernandez, who get red card in final, reacts to loss
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New OTT releases this week (July 20-26, 2026): Musafir Cafe, Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya, 72 Hours- 5 new titles coming on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Dharmendra Pradhan's 1997 paper leak protest surfaces amid calls for resignation
)
He predicted COVID-19 and 2008 economic crisis, was labeled fearmonger. Now he has another dire warning
)
'We acted immediately...': Indian PM Modi breaks silence on paper leaks as NEET protest, calls for Education Minister's resignation grows
)
'Guru is the...': Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan shares message on education amid calls for his resignation
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why US fighter jets use seamless bubble canopies compared to Russian jets
)
UP BTech gold medalist dies by suicide after failing in nearly 50 govt job attempts, leaves note for father
)
'Don't waste...': CJI Surya Kant breaks silence on Delhi police brutality against protesting students
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the F-22’s cockpit glass is thicker than a standard fighter jet
)
'Is that a back-up Trump?' Mysterious look-alike standing behind Donald Trump baffles netizens
)
Trump announces 200% tariff on generic drugs: Here's what it means for 'Pharmacy of the World' India
)
Salman Khan breaks silence on health concerns after viral Mumbai appearance
)
'What is wrong...': Anna Hazare breaks silence on Sonam Wangchuk's protest, makes an appeal to Centre
)
FBI arrests alleged $547mn medicare fraud fugitive after 3-year global manhunt
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Meet top 5 Indian batters with most T20I runs against Zimbabwe
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Meet top 5 batters with most runs in India vs Zimbabwe T20Is
Chen's house lacks proper building permits and has been deemed dangerous since the upper floors sway in the wind. But he has sworn not to let anyone demolish his house. "People often say it's unsafe and should be demolished... but I'll definitely never let anyone tear it down."
Chen has received several demolition notices, ordering him to destroy the higher floors and only retain the original building. He completed construction on the fifth floor in 2019, the sixth in 2022 and the seventh in 2023.
It was deemed an illegal construction last August. But he is in no mood to budge, and has spent tens of thousands of yuan fighting the notices in court. He has not won any of the preliminary hearings either, and has continued to appeal.
Chen's house has become a tourist attraction
Chen's house was built by his grandfather in the 1980s, and his parents refused to sell it to the developers who wanted to build a resort, complete with a theatre and artificial lake. All the houses in the area were bulldozed. In order to protect his home, Chen slept alone in the house so that no one would raze it at night.
The project was scrapped six months later, and his house was given the name "nail house" - a Chinese term for those whose owners dig in and refuse to relocate despite official compensation offers.
Today, Chen lights up his house with decorative lanterns at home, attracting the attention of passersby. In fact, it has become a tourist attraction itself, and local residents think it might be an official landmark.
