For reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nail_house http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nail_house Quick summary: Back when they took their communism more seriousl

For reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nail_house http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nail_house Quick summary: Back when they took their communism more seriously, the PRC abolished property rights, so it was common to get property for development by simply eminent-domaining the residents off the land, usually with a "fair" compensation. Property rights are sort of entering the scene now, and it's still controversial whether someone is allowed to benefit from a rise in their property value. This, obviously, makes for a certain amount of tension between developers building a strip mall over an old neighborhood, and the one family in a one-room shack in the middle of an ongoing construction site who refuses to sell.