In China, the concerns of the few are unlikely to stand in the way of progress for the many. This has been made abundantly clear in Zhejiang province where a new motorway has been built around the home of a couple that has refused to move.
The roadway running through the front and back yards of Luo Baogen and his wife's home in the city of Wenling may actually be a sign that individual property rights are gaining currency in the People's Republic of China. As Rob Williams notes, laws in the country "have recently been tightened up and it is now illegal to demolish a property without agreement."
However, authorities building a new roadway connecting the Xiazhangyang village to the Wenling railway station sure have an odd way of recognizing those rights. With their neighbors having already departed, and Luo Baogen and his wife "embroiled in a row over the amount of relocation compensation offered by the government," authorities have created what may be the world's most freeway-friendly address.
Read the full story: Great transport links, shame about the noise: Road is built around a house after elderly Chinese couple refuse to move
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