Zhang Shaoyang: Chinese resident, 76, in court fight with authorities out to forcibly demolish Guangzhou area where actor Bruce Lee lived
Zhang Shaoyang, 76, was one of the first people to move into Enning Road in the heart of Guangzhou’s distinctive Xiguan, or West Gate, area in the 1950s. Film actor Bruce Lee and Cantonese Opera star Hung Sin-nui were once residents of the area.
Today Zhang is one of the last people there, battling it out with the authorities in court over plans to forcibly demolish his arcade-style home and those of his neighbours. He spoke to MIMI LAU about why he stands his ground.
Tell us a little bit about your background?？
In 1948, when I was still a boy, our family fled to Hong Kong because my dad owned a grocery store and my aunt was branded a landowner.
Enning Road is a classic case of corruption cooked up by Guangzhou officials ... I will press on as long as it takes because it’s not fair to be stamped on. If you don’t fight for yourself, no one will pity you or give you anything
I returned in 1951 with my mother and sister to go to school while my father and aunt stayed in Hong Kong.
We then bought a house on Enning Road. Half of it was rented out and we lived in the other half.
I worked as a car mechanic and fixed radios and electrical appliances.
Then in 1975 I was wrongfully convicted of smuggling and spent to five years in jail. My wife and my son left me after that.
READ MORE: Guangzhou urban villagers defend homes
When did life change for you on Enning Road?
In 2007, the local authority announced the road would be rebuilt and started evicting residents after offering compensation, but no new housing. In 2009 more than 300 people from a demolition crew stormed in, but we decided to stand up to them.
Former Guangzhou party secretary Zhang Guangning and the late Liu Ping, former party secretary of Liwan district, made it sound like it was a heritage preservation project, but it was really an illegal commercial property development.
How did young people get involved in your cause?
The unique cultural and heritage value of architecture in the Enning Road area – its 216 historic buildings and seven public facilities were protected, but many have been bulldozed – attracted some young people taking photographs of the arcade buildings and bluestone pavements in the alleys; past residents include film star Bruce Lee and Cantonese Opera star Hung Sin-nui.
With the help of the young people’s photography and storytelling we got more media exposure. Most of them have moved on with their lives, but we are still in contact.
READ MORE: Cantonese opera singer Hung Sin-nui dies at age of 88
How did you keep up your campaign?
In 2010, we learned that the then mayor, Wan Qingliang, was coming to Enning Road for an inspection.
Local residents were guarding every street corner hoping to see him so we could voice our grievance, but most of us were blocked.
Luckily, I managed to hand him letters written by 183 residents. In 2013, construction workers injured five residents trying to block a truck and bulldozers from demolition work.
READ MORE: That Bruce Lee world exclusive, and the one that got away: Hong Kong news veteran looks back
How much did they finally offer as compensation before evicting residents?
They valued my flat at 6,300 yuan per square metre in 2009, but prices near Enning Road were already about 38,000 yuan per square metre. How can we accept such an unfair proposal? Where are we going to go after losing our homes?
Why do you say the demolition was illegal?
Over the years, we have found out the essential five documents required for demolition of more than 118,350 square metres were not in place. There is only a demolition permit for about 2,200 square metres, but more than 80 per cent of the houses have been torn down now.
What is the next step in your legal battle?
I’m requesting the government disclose documents and am filing court cases. Four resident representatives are taking the local authority to court over the administrative blunder for proceeding with the demolition without the required approval documents. We can’t afford a lawyer, but it’s an easy case. The evidence is obvious enough just as long as the court rules by law.
You are quite tech-savvy, aren’t you?
I guess my technical background in mechanics certainly helped. Today, I can put together a personal computer from scratch, hack a Wi-fi password if I have to, operate a VPN and chat with my 22-year-old grandson in Hong Kong on WhatsApp. I have helped many petitioners younger than me fix problems with their smartphones, too.
How do you manage to resist the authorities at such an old age?
Enning Road is a classic case of corruption cooked up by Guangzhou officials. I don’t think age is an issue, but years of demolition have certainly made me a stronger man. I am the administrator of four chat groups and active participant in a dozen other groups on WeChat, most of them are about land abuses.
I will press on as along as it takes because it’s not fair to be stamped on. If you don’t fight for yourself, no one will pity you or give you anything. Every elderly person wants to live a quiet life, but how can you if you don’t even have a home to go to? A home is everything.
What do you do in your spare time?
I am also close friends with many other Guangzhou petitioners with demolition problems, such as those from urban villages in Yangji, Xian and others in Foshan, Huizhou and Dongguan. We often get together to share experiences and attend court hearings. Many of us have become mini legal experts in our own cases.
What does Enning Road look like now?
They demolished more than 80 per cent of the houses, replacing the old arcade buildings with new ones. There are still more than 300 out of 1,950 households remaining, living in a torn-apart Enning Road. Our inner alleys became a dumping ground for construction and urban waste. Half-demolished houses always attract thieves and hobos. My flats are in a prime location, just 150 metres from the subway stations of Chang Shou Lu and Huang Sha, but have been vacant for a long time as all potential tenants run off as soon as they see the state of our neighbourhood.
