Editor's Note

Zhang Biqing, property owner of an apartment on the top floor of a 26-story building in Park View, Haidian district, has been thrust into the public sphere on suspicion of illegally building his own villa on the rooftop of the complex. The alleged villa, which takes up 800 square meters and is covered by decorative rocks and plants, triggered a penthouse-sized response online.

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Owner of illegal rooftop villa agrees to demolition
The owner of an illegally built two-story "villa" constructed on the rooftop of a high-rise apartment building in Beijing said on August 13 that he would tear it down within 15 days, after local authorities posted a notice on his door Monday and attracted wide public attention.

Illegal villa on apartment rooftop
A man was found to have illegally built a two-story villa with a garden and landscape features on the rooftop of a high-rise apartment building in Beijing, raising safety concerns in the area.

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Comments

Beijing News
One factor that enables the mass amounts of illegal construction in Beijing is that sometimes local law enforcement protects the interests of those with connections, the Beijing News commented on August 13.

The article claims that nearly 80 percent of all villas in Beijing are illegally built or renovated.

In contrast, law enforcement can be very strict with less-influential residents, a double standard that begs the question; how can people respect and obey the law? Crackdowns on illegal construction should begin with the powerful.

Therefore, the outcome of Zhang Biqing's case will serve as a barometer as to how strict the government's illegal construction policies actually are.

Cqnews.net
The government should not only strengthen the management and supervision of illegal construction, but also educate residents as to its dangers as well, cqnews.net said on August 12.

Officials should require law enforcement departments to promptly handle illegal construction cases to avoid potential safety hazards.

Guangzhou Daily
To my surprise, property management complained they were unable to contact Zhang despite repeated visits, failing to do even the most basic tasks required of them. Such property managers should be fired, the Guangzhou Daily published in an opinion piece August 13.

It is even more baffling that government departments such as the urban management, planning administration and environmental protection departments have all kept silent. It took urban management officers six years to post a notice on his door. If only they could show such patience with street vendors.

Weibo comments
@Sikaoziyou: Your occupation is distinguished, but it is really selfish and immoral to have illegal construction, let alone on the rooftop.

@Tianyi: The construction is a good innovation as long as its design is proper.

Reactions

  Neighbors
Over the past six years, neighbors have filed multiple complaints of water leaks and noise due to the construction project.

Authorities
The Urban Administrative and Law Enforcement Bureau of Haidian District has finished their investigation into the villa and has taken pictures as evidence.

Local authority has demanded Zhang either demolish the villa within 15 days or file an official explanation letter. Failing to obey the order could result in forceful demolition by the government.

Zhang Biqing

Zhang said that the structure is not a "villa" but said it is a grape trellis that he recently built to house vegetation as "thermal insulation" to reduce the heat absorbed by the rooftop in summer.

He said he would tear it down within 15 days.

Doubts

The prolonged procedure to demolish Zhang's illegal construction brought public speculation that Zhang has powerful friends supporting him.

"We have been trying to reach him regarding the issue since 2008, but failed regardless of whether we knocked on the door or sent notices repeatedly," Dai Jun, a press officer of the Urban Administrative and Law Enforcement Bureau of Haidian District, told the Global Times.

Zhang claimed to be able to cure many diseases through an ancestral treatment.

Net users have speculated that Zhang is another phony like the recently exposed self-proclaimed qigong master Wang Lin.

The official website of Qijing Tang was down on Tuesday, and the local industry and commerce administration said it has initiated an investigation into its medical practice qualifications.

Zhang said his practice is legal but did not comment on the theories behind his treatments on Tuesday.

Photos

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News Vocab

违章建筑 wéizhāng jiànzhù

“违章” v. break rules and regulations（Source: 《新世纪汉英大词典》）
“建筑” n. building; structure（Source: 《新世纪汉英大词典》）
“违章建筑” n. illegal building

Web editor: gelili@globaltimes.com.cn