Condo in China village goes viral; built and occupied by 4-generation family of over 100 people

In rural Fujian, China, a large multi-storey apartment complex towers over neighbouring houses in the village.

Named "big golden building", the 15-storey property recently attracted public attention after a netizen said a family "self-constructed" their own residential compound, complete with a lift.

A villager told Chinese media outlet Jimu News that the communal home belongs to a family surnamed Zhou.

One of the Zhou family members, 70, explained that the four-generation family of over 100 people lives under one roof. There are reportedly 22 residential apartments in that building.

About 20 to 30 people occupy the condominium daily, but relatives staying elsewhere for work reasons will return during the holidays and on major occasions, he said.

The complex was built nearly 10 years ago when the various households wanted to rejuvenate their old homes. The family then jointly applied to the town committee for several hundred square meters of land.

According to Zhou, the block has two underground floors functioning as parking spaces. The first floor is a common area, and there are two apartments on each of the remaining upper floors.

The elderly man, who lives on the fifth floor, remarked: "The air up here is fresh and there is good neighbourliness."

While some netizens applauded the family, others questioned the legality of the house, pointing out that there are height restrictions for rural housing.

An official from the local land bureau told Jimu News that at the time the block was built, the town committee was responsible for approving construction applications.

A member of the committee reportedly acknowledged that houses can no longer be built so high.

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com