Chinese man defies demolition orders to build 10-storey pyramid

In a modern twist of the David and Goliath tale, in which the little guy defeats a giant, a stubborn homeowner has stood his ground against a property development, turning his modest family home into a towering 10-storey marvel.

Chen Tianming, a determined homeowner in China’s Guizhou province, reportedly ignored a flurry of demolition* notices and promises of compensation* when most of his village was razed* in 2018 to make way for a lucrative* tourist resort that was never built.

Instead, Mr Tianming 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 twisted 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,” Mr Tianming 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.”

Despite warnings about safety and demands for demolition, Mr Tianming would not budge.

His home, now called a “nail house” – a term for properties whose owners refuse to relocate – stands as a monument 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 Mr Tianming completed the fifth floor in 2019, the sixth in 2022 and the seventh in 2023, he kept getting demolition notices.

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 early hearings.

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.

Ironically, Mr Tianming’s house has attracted a steady trickle of tourists itself. In a region known for its stunning landscapes, Mr Tianming’s rebellion has turned his home into a surprise attraction.

On Chinese social media, users described 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.

Mr Tianming said the house made many visitors remember whimsical childhood fancies.

“(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.”

Meanwhile, local authorities once had big plans to build an 800-acre tourist resort – including a theatre and artificial lake – in the area known for its spectacular rice paddies and otherworldly mountain landscapes.

But like many projects in Guizhou, it was cancelled, leaving Mr Tianming living virtually alone amid the ruins.

POLL

GLOSSARY

• David and Goliath: refers to a bible story in which a young shepherd slays a giant, now commonly refers to a small or weak person or organisation trying to beat a much larger or stronger opponent
• demolition: act of destroying something, often referring to a building
• razed: completely destroyed
• compensation: money for loss or suffering given to the victim by those responsible
• lucrative: very profitable, money-making
• rampant: describes something happening or spreading very quickly in an uncontrolled way
• designated: classified, specified
• madcap: unusual, impulsive, sometimes funny and possibly foolish

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QUICK QUIZ

1. How many storeys tall is Mr Tianming’s ramshackle house now?
2. The rest of his village was demolished to make way for what?
3. The pyramid house has been compared to the fantastical worlds in which Japanese films?
4. What is the quirky name given to properties whose owners refuse to relocate?
5. Who built the original bungalow and when?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Design your own house

Using construction materials (like icy-pole sticks, toothpicks etc.) build your own multistorey house that can hold the weight of an egg.

Other allowed materials are:

• Blu-tack
• Masking tape

You have 15 minutes to build your tower and then test the weight of an egg.

See which structure in your class holds the weight of the egg without collapsing.

Time: allow 25 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: Design and Technologies, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
Would you say this house is an asset or an eyesore?

Make a ruling as to whether it is allowed to stay or has to be demolished and give your reasons to the owner.

Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
Imaginative dialogue
Imagine you were there as a tourist visiting the pyramid house.

Create a conversation between yourself and Mr Tianming about his situation and the reasons for his rebellion. Don’t forget to try to use facts and details from the article to help make your dialogue as realistic as possible.

Go through your writing and highlight any punctuation you have used in green. Make sure you carefully check the punctuation used for the dialogue and ensure you have opened and closed the speaking in the correct places.