IT took 14 years for the residents of Ludancun, a government-subsidized residential area close to Shenzhen’s border with Hong Kong, to finally move out of their old, creviced apartments.

    The demolition plan of the housing estate was drafted in 2000, but since then it had been suspended. A consensus with the proprietors, the developers and local government, about plans to pull down all 25 of the apartment buildings, most of which were in poor condition because the construction company used sea sand, had not been able to be reached.

    “Half a year after I moved in [around 2000] I found the walls of my house cracked,” said a resident surnamed Jiang. “People who lived in Buildings 6, 10 and 15 found fissures stretching from the surface of the buildings. A few days later some repairmen were sent by the government to make a simple repair with asphalt and wires. Those buildings were called ‘zebra buildings.’”

    However, the repair didn’t ease the rage of the residents. Scuffles were even witnessed in the process of negotiation.

    Finally, at the end of May, the three parties reached an agreement and decided on May 30 as the day to begin demolishing.

    After the demolition is completed, eight tall apartment buildings will be built.

    “The area will be transformed into a high-end commercial residency complex,” said Guo Shulan, a real estate professional. “Due to its special location and compared to the current housing prices around the area, I can predict that the average price for the new apartments in the rebuilt estate will be no less than 60,000 yuan (US$9,606).”

    Although conflicts once lingered in the area, now a generation’s memory of the old community will vanish, except for snapshots that record the past, in favor of newer, taller buildings.(Tan Yifan)