Recently, there has been circulating news online that Chinese Olympic diving champion Quan Hong-chan is building a new house in her hometown, sparking attention. The construction team mentioned that drones fly over the construction site every day, but they are unsure who is operating them. However, it has not affected the construction progress so far.
A leaked video online shows that the construction company responsible for Quan Hong-chan’s new house is “Elegance Villa Construction.” The construction site is surrounded by fences, with several foundation holes already dug, and excavators and workers are busy on site.
In the comments section, netizens expressed their joy about the news. Some sharp-eyed internet users compared the street view maps and discovered a landfill site thirty meters away from the construction site, raising concerns about potential unpleasant odors during the hot summer months.
However, according to an article posted on the Netease account “Red Fragrance Entertainment,” a detail related to the construction was creatively edited by a blogger with a BGM remix of “The gate has wine and meat, stinking to high heaven,” instantly sparking controversy. The controversial labeling of the construction unit as a “villa” added fuel to the debate.
Quan Hong-chan’s mother, Zhong Chunmei, repeatedly expressed, “I just want my children to have their own beds when they come home.”
In a live broadcast, Quan Hong-chan’s brother also mentioned that they didn’t have their own house in the village. After years of working outside, he decided to use the money he earned to build a house at home so that his siblings have a place to stay when they come back for holidays. It’s just a simple self-built house in the countryside, nothing extravagant like a mansion.
According to JiMu News, the residential land where Quan Hong-chan’s family is constructing their new house was awarded to her by the village as a reward for winning the Olympic gold in 2021. After receiving approval for the land application, the construction of the new house officially commenced on May 3, covering an area of 120 square meters.
On May 7, Mr. Sun, the general manager of Guangdong Ping Aluminum Co., Ltd., one of the construction teams, told Jiupai News that the original design was for a two-and-a-half-story building. Following fans’ suggestions and with the family’s consent, they agreed to extend it to a three-and-a-half-story structure exceeding 10 meters in height. Therefore, they are currently revising the blueprints and need to get approval before proceeding.
Mr. Sun also mentioned that in the past few days, drones have been flying around the construction site, capturing footage, with over a dozen flights observed daily, although they are unsure about the operators’ location. However, the construction progress has not been affected so far.
Quan Hong-chan was born in Mahe Village, Mazhang District, Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, to a low-income family where her mother and grandfather have been chronically ill. She left home at the age of 7 to receive diving training and won her first championship at the age of 14. In a press conference after her victory, she expressed her desire to earn money to go back and treat her mother’s illness, vowing to earn a substantial amount to cure her.