In the People’s Republic of China, private ownership of land was done away with, which means the government technically owns all property and has the power to build wherever it sees fit.
This situation became more visible in the 1990s when commercial development really took off. Shopping malls began to pop up in heavily populated neighborhoods, and developers often offered very little compensation to persuade residents to give up their homes and move out.
As highlighted by the South China Morning Post, Ye Yushou, a local tofu vendor, lives in one of these stubborn homes. His two-story house now sits in the middle of a bustling construction site, surrounded by constant noise, clouds of dust, and the daily rumble of heavy equipment. Things might have turned out very differently if he had just accepted the offer made to him in 2022—1.6 million yuan, which is about $220,000.
But Yushou turned down not just the money, but also the offer of two new homes. Instead, the government pushed ahead and simply built around his house, which now sits between the G206 highway in Jinxi County and China’s Jiangxi province. The site has earned the nickname ‘Eye of Jinxi’. And since workers have even created a dedicated access path for residents, it looks like the house is there to stay and there won’t be another offer coming anytime soon.
While speaking to visitors gathered near his home, Yushou explained that he had actually demanded 2 million yuan and three new homesteads instead of what the government was willing to offer him.
There’s no clear explanation of exactly how the talks fell apart. But according to reports, three neighboring homes were demolished to make way for the project, while the road was simply built around Yushou’s house, leaving it completely boxed in.
Over on Reddit, people had plenty to say about what happened, with one person commenting: “I expect he was holding out for more, thinking there’s no way they can’t build the highway without buying his house. He got greedy and FAFO.”
Someone else added: “His neighbor took the compensation at the right time with fair price already become millionaire. All he wants is more, got nothing in the end. The last one always get nothing but regret.”
And in a lighter take, one Redditor compared the situation to the Pixar movie Up and joked: “Grandpa now preparing the balloons.”
