Chinese man who refused $200,000 to abandon his home now surrounded by highway reveals if he regrets it
Published on Dec 19, 2025 at 4:00 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Dec 19, 2025 at 9:15 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
We’ve all done things we regret, although probably not like the man who refused $200k to abandon his house that is now surrounded by a highway.
Authorities contacted Chinese grandfather Huang Ping with an offer of $200,000 to relocate, as his house was in the path of a new road.
Many of us would probably take that money and find somewhere else to live, but Ping refused and seemed quite happy to stay where he was.
However, after the highway was built around his home, he has since spoken out about his decision.
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Why Ping refused to relocate his house
Huang Ping lives in Jinxi, in the southwest area of Shanghai, China.
Authorities were planning on building the new road, and his house was unfortunately in its way.
In the end, they simply had to build around the house.
Workers would have to try to accommodate it as best as they could.
As time has gone on, though, Ping has revealed he regrets the decision to stay in his home.
In August 2025, he said the noise from the construction had made him wish he’d taken up the offer.
The highway has wrapped around his house
Living with his 11-year-old grandson, the two have become frustrated with the noise around them.
Speaking to various publications, Ping said: “If I could turn back time, I would agree to the demolition conditions they offered. Now it feels like I lost a big bet.”
He said dust, fumes, and traffic smoke have all made living at the property uncomfortable.
There is a chance that Ping didn’t expect his house to be so encased by the new highway.
The homeowner also revealed he had held out, hoping he would get a better offer from officials.
Now, though, he is wondering why he didn’t just take the offer and move when he could.
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Henry joined the Supercar Blondie team in February 2025, and since then has covered a wide array of topics ranging from EVs, American barn finds, and the odd Cold War jet. He’s combined his passion for cars with his keen interest in motorsport and his side hustle as a volunteer steam locomotive fireman at a leading heritage steam railway in England.
