In a tale reminiscent of David versus Goliath, a stubborn homeowner has stood firm against the tide of property development, transforming his modest family home into a towering 10-storey marvel.
Chen Tianming, a resolute homeowner in China’s Guizhou province, reportedly ignored a flurry of demolition notices and promises of compensation when most of his village was razed to dust in 2018 to build a lucrative tourist resort that would never come to fruition.
Instead, Chen refused to abandon the home his grandfather built in the 1980s, turning his family’s humble stone bungalow into a bewildering 10-storey, pyramid-shaped warren of rickety staircases, balconies and other add-ons.
The higher floors where he sleeps sway in the wind, according to media reports, and dozens of ropes and cables tether the house to the ground as if the whole thing might one day float away.
Built with faded ply-boards and contorted beams, the teetering structure has been compared
in Chinese media to the fantastical creations of legendary Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki.
“I started building out of practicality, trying to renovate and expand our home,” Chen told media outlets.
“But then it became more of an interest and hobby that I enjoyed.
“People often say it’s unsafe and should be demolished… but I’ll definitely never let anyone tear it down.”
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Chen Tianming standing in front of his house labelled China’s strangest “nail house. (Photo by Pedro PARDO / AFP)
The home is a towering 10-storey marvel. (Photo by Pedro PARDO / AFP).
Despite warnings about safety and demands for demolition, Chen remains unwavering.
His home, now a ‘nail house’ – a term for properties whose owners refuse to relocate – stands as a testament to his determination.
A quirk of China’s rampant development and partial private property laws, nail houses sometimes make headlines for delaying money-spinning construction projects or forcing developers to divert roads or build around shabby older homes.
But even as Chen forged ahead, completing the fifth floor in 2019, the sixth in 2022 and the seventh in 2023, he continued to receive threats of demolition.
In 2024, his home was designated an illegal construction, and he was ordered to destroy everything except the original bungalow within five days.
He said he has spent thousands of pounds fighting the notices in court, despite losing several preliminary hearings.
Chen Tianming in his house built with faded ply-boards and contorted beams. (Photo by Pedro PARDO / AFP)
The structure is truly something to behold (Photo by Pedro PARDO / AFP)
But he continues to appeal and the next hearing has been delayed.
“I’m not worried. Now that there’s no one developing the land, there’s no need for them to knock the place down,” he said.
In recent years, ironically, Chen’s house has begun to lure a steady trickle of tourists itself.
On Chinese social media, users describe it as China’s strangest nail house, likening it to the madcap buildings in Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli masterpieces ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ and ‘Spirited Away’.
In a region known for its stunning landscapes, Chen’s defiance has turned his abode into an unexpected attraction, with visitors likening it to Miyazaki’s fantastical creations such as ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’.
Chen said the house makes many visitors remember their whimsical childhood fantasies.
“(People) dream of building a house for themselves with their own hands… but most can’t make it happen,” he said.
“I not only thought of it, I made it a reality.”
Chen Tianming sitting on his bed (Photo by Pedro PARDO / AFP)
Chen with one of his nine dogs (Photo by Pedro PARDO / AFP)
Meanwhile, local authorities once had big plans to build an 800-acre tourist resort – including a theatre and artificial lake – in the region known for its spectacular rice paddies and otherworldly mountain landscapes.
However, like many projects in Guizhou, it was cancelled, leaving Chen now virtually alone amid the ruins.
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