In the early hours of May 28th, the sound of machinery roared in Xilu Town, Shantou, Guangdong Province. Dozens of excavators started working simultaneously, and within one night, the luxurious estate “Ying Zhi Yuan”, costing nearly 1 billion RMB and occupying 57 acres, was razed to the ground.
The private luxury estate “Ying Zhi Yuan” in Shantou, Guangdong was recently ordered for forced demolition by the authorities, sparking public attention. On May 28th, netizens in Shantou, Guangdong claimed that the estate “Ying Zhi Yuan” had been forcibly demolished.
A resident near “Ying Zhi Yuan” told “Ji Mu News” that on the evening of May 27th, dozens of excavators and other large equipment entered Ying Zhi Yuan one after another. “The construction noise was particularly loud that night, waking me up,” the resident said. However, due to the erected fences around Ying Zhi Yuan and the restricted access to the surrounding roads, this resident was uncertain about the specific situation inside.
Another nearby merchant told the “New Beijing News” that around midnight on the 28th, excavators started demolishing, and now it has been completely demolished. She saw two to three dozen excavators demolishing the area.
A circulated video showed that “Ying Zhi Yuan” had been completely demolished, with the four Beijing-style courtyard buildings and seven European-style villas inside turned into ruins.
According to reports, “Ying Zhi Yuan” had been under construction since 2013, with an investment of nearly 1 billion RMB by the three Chen brothers from Xilu Town.
On the morning of May 28th, the staff of the Chaoyang Branch of the Natural Resources Bureau in Shantou City responded that the demolition of Ying Zhi Yuan was closely monitored by the town government, and “it should have been demolished.”
On May 9th, the Chaoyang District Government of Shantou City issued a notice of forced demolition, stating that Chen Ying Biao illegally occupied collective industrial land and built more than ten illegal houses, covering an area of 54.561 mu. After an investigation by the Shantou Natural Resources Bureau, a “Administrative Penalty Decision” was made against Chen Ying Biao, ordering him to demolish “Ying Zhi Yuan” and clean up the site within 45 days from the date of the announcement. If the demolition is not completed on time, the Chaoyang District Government will forcibly demolish it.
Many netizens commented on this, saying, “Prevention should have been implemented during the construction process. After it was built, it became illegal construction, resulting in a great loss, which is a pity.” “A little renovation could have turned it into public welfare, charity, or welfare projects.” “Isn’t this a waste of resources?” “There are reasons why some villages cannot prosper.”
Blogger “lemo Hotspot” revealed in an article that the Chen brothers were once prominent figures in the local community. They held shares in multiple companies across various fields, with assets exceeding 1 billion RMB at their peak. However, due to a dispute over a 530 million RMB loan, they were restricted by the court from high consumption. Their properties worth about 530 million RMB are currently being auctioned online. They had promised to donate 30.12 million RMB to build a school, but in the end, they only contributed 120,000 RMB. “Ying Zhi Yuan” was confiscated by the relevant authorities in 2020.
Some netizens expressed their sentiments, saying, “When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter.” “If the economic situation of the Chen brothers had remained good, could this illegal construction still have been demolished? I see something fishy in this article.”
Big V “Tong Brother Observation” further commented that the luxury estate had been left unattended for 12 years until public opinion fermented, prompting the overnight demolition. “Is this a case of correcting past mistakes, or is it just a show?”
“Tong Brother Observation” criticized that 12 years of regulatory loopholes cannot be “covered up by demolition.” Grassroots governance should not always rely on public opinion to drive action. “Don’t let the people feel that the law only works in front of the camera.”
For further reading:
Luxurious Guangdong Estate to be Demolished Goes Viral, Costing 1 Billion RMB