Man defies demolition orders to build rural home

Designated an illegal construction by Beijing’s standards, Chen Tianming’s abode in southwestern China has become a tourist attraction, writes AFP

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Surrounded by the rubble of demolished homes, Chen Tian-ming’s ramshackle tower of faded plyboards and contorted beams juts into the sky in southwestern China, a teetering monument to one man’s stubbornness.

Authorities razed most of Mr Chen's village in Guizhou province in 2018 to build a lucrative tourist resort in a region known for its spectacular rice paddies and otherworldly mountain landscapes.

Mr Chen, 42, refused to leave, and after the project faltered, defied a flurry of demolition notices to build his family’s humble stone bungalow higher and higher.

He now presides over a bewildering 10-storey, pyramid-shaped warren of rickety staircases, balconies and other add-ons, drawing comparisons 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 AFP on a sweltering May afternoon as he climbed ladders and ducked wooden beams in his labyrinthine construction.

"But then it became more of an interest and hobby that I enjoyed," he said.

Mr Chen's obsessive tinkering and lack of building permits continue to draw ire from the local government.