Wednesday, March 28, 2007

The Nail House



In light of the Supreme Court’s 2005 decision Kelo v. City of New London, property rights and the government’s ability to take one’s land have been much in the news here. A similar fight is also ongoing in China: Yang Wu and Wu Ping are refusing to leave their home, despite the fact that it is now standing isolated and alone in the midst of a huge, deep excavation. The house has become known as the "nail house," in part because of its stature and in part due to the resiliency of its owners.

In September 2004, agreements were reached with the owners of the 280 surrounding homes. Yang Wu and Wu Ping, however, have held out for more. Despite being ordered to evacuate their home by March 22, they have refused. On March 21, Yang Wu, who is a local Kungfu champion, returned to his home through a rather unique and ingenious method: he built an instant staircases with his nunchakus!

As of yesterday, apparently, the house still stood. China, however, has banned any further discussion of the popular issue. I’ve always dreamed of a house with a view, but this might be a bit much!

1 comment:

Josh Gillespie said...

That's too cool! Go Yang Wu! But I must say, that's a view I wouldn't want either.