Noisy Neighbor: Doctor Builds Illegal Rooftop Villa in Haidian

A Beijing doctor who built a "rooftop villa" on top of a residential building in Haidian, has been warned to remove the illegal structure by authorities or face its dismantling at the hands of local chengguan officials.

The South China Morning Post reports eccentric quack Zhang Biqing built the structure over the course of six years and terrorized neighbors who complained about the constant noise of heavy machinery on the roof, and water leaking through the building.

Zhang, a former member of a district People's Political Consultative Conference, is alleged to have powerful contacts within government who enabled his project to proceed despite his neighbors protestations and regular complaints to building management and the police.

An ultimatum was finally issued to Zhang on Monday stating that he has 15 days to remove the structure, which it's feared may have damaged the structural integrity of the building.

The structure, which is thought to have taken six years to complete, features a fake mountain, trees and grass, and overlooks a nearby lake.

As you might expect, the professor's project and his treatment of his neighbors has drawn much opprobrium online with netizens questioning how the project was allowed to go ahead for six years.

photos: www.scmp.com, sh.people.com.cn