Homeowner Refuses to Relocate, Forcing a Highway to "Split in Two": Rejects Over $200,000 Compensation and 3 Houses, Ends Up Living Amidst Dust and Noise

Refusing to relocate, a house in China remains in the middle of a highway, enduring the noise and pollution from passing vehicles.

Recently, images of a "nail house" sitting in the middle of a highway in Jinxi County, Jiangxi Province, have gone viral on Chinese social media platforms. The house's roof is nearly level with the road, resembling an "eye" when viewed from above. Because of this, netizens have dubbed it "The Eye of Jinxi."

The owner of the house, 72-year-old Mr. Huang, has been living there for years. Several years ago, the government of Jinxi County launched a renovation project for National Highway G206, which stretches through Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, and ends in Guangdong Province. According to the plan, the area where Mr. Huang's family lived fell directly within the highway’s path and needed to be cleared. After the compensation plan was introduced, most residents signed the agreement and relocated—except for Mr. Huang’s family, who refused to move.

Initially, the local government offered a demolition compensation package of over 1.6 million yuan (more than $200,000) and two houses, which was considered quite generous. However, Mr. Huang's family refused and instead demanded double the compensation, which was deemed unreasonable and excessive.

Determined to achieve their goal, the family took legal action, hiring a lawyer from Beijing at a cost of nearly 100,000 yuan (over $14,000). During the legal proceedings, after multiple rounds of negotiations, the government eventually compromised and agreed to compensate them with over $200,000 and three houses. However, just before signing the contract, negotiations stalled again due to disagreements over the payment method.

With no other option, the Jinxi County government had to revise the original highway design. They first built a reinforced concrete wall to separate the house from the two lanes of traffic and then constructed a private gate for the Huang family to enter and exit. These modifications significantly increased the project's costs.

This led Mr. Huang to question: “Why is the government willing to spend so much money to ‘solve the issue’ but unwilling to compromise on the compensation for my family? I just don’t understand.”

Currently, Mr. Huang and his youngest son still live in the house. During the day, they go out to avoid the noise and dust, only returning home late at night after the construction crews have finished work. Although their house still has electricity and water, living conditions remain difficult. According to Mr. Huang, the house has no kitchen or bathroom, making it impossible to cook or do laundry properly.

“The internet was disconnected long ago, and the TV is now just a decoration,” he said.

As of now, the highway has not been officially opened, but some vehicles are already using it. Whenever a large truck passes by, the house’s windows and doors shake violently. Mr. Huang admits that while the noise is not unbearable at the moment, he is uncertain about how things will change once the highway is fully operational.

In recent interviews, Mr. Huang has admitted his deep regret for not agreeing to the initial demolition terms:

"If I could go back in time, I would have accepted the demolition terms back then. Now, I feel like I’ve lost—I regret it a little."