Beijing cracks down on bizarre apartment-top villa

[CityFarmer]

A mini "Garden of Babylon" in Beijing, the capital of China...

I always admire their will to make "wonder" in China, no matter how crazy of the idea....

Beijing cracks down on bizarre apartment-top villa

BEIJING — Beijing authorities are planning to demolish a bizarre rooftop villa embedded in rocks, trees and bushes that allegedly was built illegally atop a 26-story apartment block in the capital.

Haidian district urban management official Dai Jun said today (Aug 13) that authorities will tear the structure down in 15 days unless the owner does so himself or presents evidence it was legally built. Mr Dai said his office has yet to receive a response.

http://www.todayonline.com/chinaindia/ch...-top-villa

[CityFarmer]

Following-up news report... Uniquely China...

Man ordered to demolish bizarre villa atop Beijing apartment block

BEIJING — A medicine mogul spent six years building his own private “mountain peak” and luxury villa atop a high-rise apartment block in China’s capital, earning the unofficial title of the “most outrageous illegal structure’’. Now, the authorities are giving him 15 days to tear it down.

The craggy complex of rooms, rocks, trees and bushes looming over the 26-storey building looks like something built into a seaside cliff, and has become the latest symbol of disregard for the law among the rich as well as the rampant practice of building illegal additions.

Angry neighbours say they have complained for years that the unauthorised, 800-sq-m mansion and its attached landscaping was damaging the building’s structural integrity and its pipe system, but that local authorities failed to take action.

The villa’s owner has been identified as the head of a traditional Chinese medicine business and former member of the district’s political advisory body who resides on the building’s 26th floor.

The authorities took action only after photos of the villa were splashed across Chinese media on Monday.

http://www.todayonline.com/chinaindia/ch...ment-block