Man told to tear down bizarre 'mountain' home

[Hum]

BEIJING (AP) ? 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 "most outrageous illegal structure." Now, authorities are giving him 15 days to tear it down.

The craggy complex of rooms, rocks, trees and bushes looming over the 26-story 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 neighbors say they've complained for years that the unauthorized, 800-square-meter (8,600-sq. feet) mansion and its attached landscaping was damaging the building's structural integrity and its pipe system, but that local authorities failed to crack down. They've also complained about loud, late-night parties.

"They've been renovating for years. They normally do it at night," said a resident on the building's 25th floor, who added that any attempts to reason with the owner were met with indifference. "He was very arrogant. He could care less about my complaints," said the neighbor, who declined to give his name to avoid repercussions.

Haidian district urban management official Dai Jun said Tuesday that authorities would tear the two-story structure down in 15 days unless the owner does so himself or presents evidence it was legally built. Dai said his office has yet to receive such evidence.

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. Contacted by Beijing Times newspaper, the man said he would comply with the district's orders, but he belittled attempts to call the structure a villa, calling it "just an ornamental garden." :huh:

more & pics

[_neutrino Veteran]

i think it looks awesome. :D

[Hum]

That's cool as hell -- they should build more ! :D

[Nick H. Supervisor]

"He was very arrogant. He could care less about my complaints," said the neighbor...

That still makes me cringe.

They waited 15 years before telling him to take it down? It doesn't sound like he's disregarding the law per se, more like the police are doing a poor job of enforcing it.

With all that said though, that is an awesome looking mountain home. Makes me think of the original James Bond villain hideouts. :laugh:

[Osiris]

I love it, the law doesn't do anything for years and then gives him 15 days to tear all that down...good luck.  Looks awesome, shame he got lazy with the bribes, if you don't keep them up this is what happens. 

[Kriz]

That looks amazing!

[Hum]

That surely can't be real boulders -- it would collapse the rooftop.

[timster]

That surely can't be real boulders -- it would collapse the rooftop.

well, being China, the boulders were probably cheap knockoffs

[lnmnky]

Where does the building stop and the "garden" start? Load bearing roof much?

[_dandy_]

That surely can't be real boulders -- it would collapse the rooftop.

 

I was wondering about that.  You can't sneak in rocks of that size through what, the elevators?

[M_Lyons10]

Wow.  LOL

[MidnightDevil]

Looks like an awesome place to party! :D 

[McCordRm]

First, THAT IS ######ING AWESOME!

 

Second, this isn't a marijuana homegrow that was "hidden" from authorities. If he's

been building it for that long, they've had plenty of time to get involved. But to wait

until he's finished to say, "NOW we want it gone"? That's just a dick move.

[Growled Member]

Really be a shame to tear that down.