Motorway gets built around man's house as he refuses to move

A man in China who refused to move despite being offered nearly £180,000 (P13 million) had a motorway built around his house.

Huang Ping's home in Jinxi is surrounded by a construction site that's almost as tall as his two-story abode, which is surrounded by a lane of roads on either side.

The man, who lives with his 11-year-old grandson, said he spends his day in the town center to avoid the construction site and only goes home when the builders have clocked out.

Now, he regrets not taking the Chinese government's offer, as his house is now rocked by vibrations, noise, and dust from the building.

A grandfather in China declined to sell his home, resulting in a highway being constructed around it. Though he turned down compensation offers, he now has some regrets as traffic moves around his house pic.twitter.com/ApnGdMMOTL

— Domenico (@AvatarDomy) January 25, 2025

"If I could turn back time, I would agree to the demolition conditions they offered. Now it feels like I lost a big bet," Huang said, as per The Independent, adding that he's worried about the noise worsening when the road opens in spring.

"I regret it a bit," he said.

Huang's situation is a common occurrence in China as the government builds roads around homes even when owners refuse to leave. These homes are known as "dingzihu" or "nail houses."

In 2017, a nail house in Shanghai that blocked traffic for nearly 14 years was demolished. The residents refused every owner since 2003, as they found compensation to be insufficient.