Authorities in Guizhou demolished most of a makeshift 10-storey house built by villager Chen Tianming after years of disputes over permits and safety. Chen spent nearly eight years and about 200,000 yuan transforming a stone bungalow into a pyramid-like, Miyazaki-reminiscent structure that drew tourists. A final eviction notice on May 18 preceded a rapid demolition that left only the original ground floor; Chen says he will pursue legal action to challenge the removal.
Authorities Tear Down Villager’s Fantastical 10-Storey Home in Guizhou
Chen Tianming, standing in front of his house in June 2025, told AFP "regret is useless" (Pedro PARDO)(Pedro PARDO/AFP/AFP)
Local officials in Xingyi, Guizhou province demolished the bulk of an improvised 10-storey house built by villager Chen Tianming after years of disputes over permits and safety. Videos from Chen show the once-towering, plywood-and-wood-beam structure reduced to its original ground floor, with debris and piles of building materials remaining on site.
Chen, 43, spent nearly eight years and about 200,000 yuan (roughly $29,400) enlarging his family’s modest stone bungalow into a pyramid-like tangle of staircases, balconies and makeshift additions. The eccentric building drew tourists and media attention, with many likening its whimsical appearance to the fantastical worlds of Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki.
“I don't feel regret, because regret is useless,” Chen told AFP. “I also don't blame myself for failing to protect it — it's just that the force driving its destruction was simply too powerful.”
Fast Demolition After Final Notice
Authorities said the structure lacked construction permits and posed safety risks. On May 18 the Xingyi City Bureau of Coordinated Administrative Law Enforcement issued a final notice ordering Chen to vacate the site by 9 a.m. on the day of demolition. Chen says early that morning roughly a dozen law enforcement and public security officers arrived, escorted him and his parents away, and confiscated his phone; he was held at a local government office until late that evening.
Background And Legal Fight
Most of Chen’s home village was razed in 2018 as part of a plan to build a tourist resort in the scenic region, but Chen refused to relocate. He added floors incrementally — completing the fifth floor in 2019, a sixth in 2022 and a seventh in 2023 — and repeatedly faced demolition threats. In August 2024 officials formally labeled his building an “illegal construction” and ordered him to dismantle all additions beyond the original bungalow within five days. Chen appealed the designation and petitioned local authorities and courts.
Chen says he intends to pursue legal action to challenge the forced demolition and hopes that, if a court rules in his favor, he will be able to rebuild or restore the unique structure.
AFP footage and Chen’s own videos document both the structure’s earlier prominence above surrounding farmland and its rapid removal. Authorities have emphasized permit and safety issues; Chen frames the building as a personal project and a local curiosity.
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