Recently, two illegally constructed “mansions” in Guzhao Village, Yulin City, Guangxi, were demolished due to no one claiming ownership, sparking discussions online and trending on Weibo on January 22.
According to reports from Red Star News, in December last year, a villager named Chen reported that two “mansions” were illegally built between forests and rivers in Guzhao Village, with villagers suspecting illegal land deals and unauthorized construction.
Chen introduced that these two three-story “mansions” were built between 2015 and 2016 and became uninhabited after the report.
Photos taken by local villagers previously showed that both three-story mansions were of traditional Chinese architectural style. Notices from the Rongxian Natural Resources Bureau dated October 8, 2023, were posted on the doors of the houses, stating that each mansion occupied an area of about 630 square meters, with a building area of about 1800 square meters, constructed without approval, therefore classified as illegal construction. The notice requested the constructors to submit related building materials to the Rongxian Natural Resources Comprehensive Law Enforcement Brigade within 20 days from the notice’s publication date.
However, over a year after the notice was issued, there was no action taken by relevant departments, leading to villagers’ suspicions. In response to villagers’ inquiries, Chen recently announced that these two illegally constructed “mansions” were finally demolished.
A local informed cadre responded that despite official notices seeking the owners of the “mansions,” no one stepped forward, resulting in the properties being processed as “ownerless items.”
On January 22, the topic “Two illegally constructed mansions in Guangxi demolished due to no one claiming ownership” sparked heated discussions online and trended on Weibo.
Netizens joked, “They dare not claim ownership, as it might jeopardize their official positions.” “If someone did own up, they probably wouldn’t just demolish the houses. Who has such power to build such structures?” “Even using your feet, you can figure out what’s going on.”
Some questioned whether the authorities “couldn’t find them or didn’t want to?” “If they really wanted to investigate, it’s impossible not to find out.” “How can they not know who it belongs to? Everyone knows, but they just don’t say.”