China’s ‘Nail House’ Sparks Online Debate Over Property Rights And Development

A nail house is a term used in China to describe a property that stands in the way of a large-scale development project, such as a highway, a shopping mall, or a residential complex. The owners of these properties refuse to sell or relocate, often demanding higher compensation or better relocation terms from the developers or the government.

As a result, the developers have to build around the nail houses, creating bizarre and sometimes dangerous situations for the residents and the public.

One such nail house has recently gone viral on social media, attracting attention and comments from netizens around the world. The 15-second video shows a house standing in the middle of a highway, surrounded by two lanes of traffic. The house is located in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province in southern China.

According to local media reports, the owner of the house has been living there for more than 10 years, and has rejected several offers from the government to move out.

Why are nail houses common in China?

China has undergone rapid urbanization and economic development in the past few decades, which has led to massive land acquisition and demolition of old buildings and villages. However, the process of land acquisition and compensation is often opaque and unfair, leaving many property owners dissatisfied and reluctant to give up their homes and rights. Some of them resort to legal action or protest, while others simply refuse to budge, becoming nail houses.

According to a report by China Youth Daily, there were more than 40,000 cases of land disputes in China in 2010, involving more than 6.6 million people. The report also said that more than 80% of the cases were related to inadequate or delayed compensation, forced eviction, or illegal demolition. Many of these cases resulted in violence, injuries, or deaths.

How do people react to nail houses?

Nail houses have sparked mixed reactions from the public and the media. Some people admire the courage and persistence of the nail house owners, who are seen as defending their rights and dignity against powerful interests. They also criticize the government and the developers for violating the property rights and welfare of the citizens. Some examples of famous nail houses that have gained public sympathy and support are:

• The Chongqing nail house: A two-story brick house that stood alone on a mound surrounded by a 17-meter-deep pit dug by developers in 2007. The owners, Wu Ping and Yang Wu, refused to sell their house for more than two years, until they reached an agreement with the developers to relocate to a nearby apartment with similar size and view.
• The Shanghai nail house: A four-story building that was left standing in the middle of a construction site for a shopping mall in 2013. The owner, Zhang Lianzhi, claimed that his ancestral home was worth more than 20 million yuan ($3 million), and demanded a higher compensation from the developers. He also decorated his house with national flags and slogans to draw attention to his plight.
• The Xi’an nail house: A five-story building that was surrounded by a ring road in 2015. The owner, Liang Shuxin, said that he had spent more than 600,000 yuan ($92,000) to renovate his house, and asked for a compensation of 1.2 million yuan ($184,000) from the government. He also installed surveillance cameras and barbed wire to protect his property from demolition.

However, some people also condemn the nail house owners as selfish and stubborn, who are holding back the progress and development of the society. They also accuse them of exploiting the loopholes in the law and taking advantage of public opinion to extort money from the government or the developers. Some examples of nail houses that have faced public backlash and ridicule are:

• The Beijing nail house: A three-story villa that was left standing on a mound surrounded by high-rise buildings in 2015. The owner, Zhang Biqing, was a former member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), a political advisory body. He had illegally built two more floors on top of his original villa, which he claimed were for his medical clinic. He also refused to sell his property for more than six years, until he was ordered by the court to demolish it in 2019.
• The Kunming nail house: A two-story building that was left standing on a bridge over a railway line in 2016. The owner, Chen Junliang, was a former railway worker who had bought the house from his employer in 1992. He had rejected several offers from the railway authorities to relocate or compensate him for his property. He also claimed that he had a special attachment to his house, which he said was haunted by ghosts.
• The Guangzhou nail house: The same house that has gone viral recently on social media. The owner, surnamed Liang, was reportedly offered more than 2 million yuan ($307,000) by the government to move out of his house, which he bought in 2004 for 800,000 yuan ($123,000). He also said that he had no intention of selling his house, and that he enjoyed living in the middle of the highway.

What are the challenges and solutions for nail houses?

Nail houses pose a challenge for the urban planning and social harmony in China, as they reflect the deep-rooted conflicts and grievances between the government, the developers, and the property owners. They also expose the loopholes and flaws in the legal system and the enforcement of property rights and compensation standards in China.

To address these issues, some experts and scholars have suggested the following solutions:

• To improve the transparency and fairness of the land acquisition and compensation process, by involving independent third-party agencies, such as courts, arbitration institutions, or social organizations, to mediate and supervise the negotiations and agreements between the parties.
• To strengthen the protection and enforcement of property rights, by revising and implementing the relevant laws and regulations, such as the Property Law, the Land Administration Law, and the Urban Housing Demolition Management Regulations, to ensure that the property owners are properly informed, consulted, compensated, and relocated.
• To promote the public participation and awareness of urban planning and development, by soliciting and incorporating the opinions and feedback of the citizens, especially the affected property owners, in the decision-making and implementation of the urban projects.
• To balance the interests and needs of different stakeholders, by taking into account the social, economic, environmental, and cultural impacts of urban development on the community and the society.