Demolition of bizarre rooftop 'garden' begins in Beijing
On Tuesday morning at least three workers were spotted on the rooftop trying to remove the grapevine trellises that make up part of the elaborate structure, which includes fake rocks and real greenery.
The owner of the outlandish rooftop villa in Beijing that has attracted worldwide mockery has started to remove at least part of what he sees as his creative masterwork.
On Tuesday morning at least three workers were spotted on the rooftop trying to remove the grapevine trellises that make up part of the elaborate structure, which includes fake rocks and real greenery. But the basic mountaintop shape of the bizarre edifice parked on a 26-story apartment block had not changed much by the afternoon.
Wealthy acupuncturist Zhang Biqing, the owner, said he had employed the same workers who built the structure for him six years ago, and more than 10 workers would join in the coming few days.
"As they know how to put it up, they know how to pull it down," Zhang was quoted by China News Service as saying.
The Bureau of City Administration and Law Enforcement of Beijing's Haidian district issued an ultimatum on Monday giving Zhang 15 days to demolish the 800 square metres of the structure that have been deemed illegal. However Zhang has insisted the illegal structure area measured only 40 to 50 square metres.