Chinese citizens refuse demolition of their homes - in pictures

Wenling, 2012: A house sits in the middle of a newly built road in the city, east China Photograph: Imaginechina/Rex Features

Wenling, 2012: A man looks down from his house which stands alone in the middle of the road Photograph: China Daily/Reuters

Kunming, 2010: Zhao Xing, 58, collects water near his partially demolished house at a construction site in Yunnan province. Zhao refused to move because of unsatisfactory compensation for his property, even though the water and electricity supply had been cut Photograph: Reuters

Guangzhou, 2012: A woman cries after trying to protect her house from demolition in Yangji Village, now part of the city Photograph: Imaginechina/Corbis

Shenzhen, 2007: A house stands isolated in the middle of a construction site in the business district of the city. The Hong Kong-born owner refused to move out, demanding more compensation from developers Photograph: woody wu/AFP/Getty Images

Wuhan, 2010: Chinese farmer Yang Youde fires his homemade cannon on the outskirts of Wuhan, Hubei province. Yang uses the cannons, which are made out of a wheelbarrow, pipes and fire rockets, to defend his fields against property developers who want his land. Land seizures have been a problem for years in China, and have given rise to the term 'nail house' to describe a holdout tenant or occupant, likening them to a nail refusing to be hammered down Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

Hefei, 2008: A nail house at a construction site being developed for apartment blocks. The banner reads "strongly requesting the government to punish the developer who demolished my house, give back my home" Photograph: Jianan Yu/Reuters

Hefei, 20120: Cao Wenxia, 75, the owner of a nail house, walks out of his home in Anhui province. His family refuse to move due to unsatisfactory compensation for their house Photograph: Reuters

Hefei 2010: A partially demolished nail house, the last house in the area Photograph: Jianan Yu/Reuters

Changchun, 2010: Li Shuguang stands on top of his house with scissors, shouting and threatening the demolition team not to get closer. The local government marked the land in Chaoyang district of the city where Li's home and 36 others stand for development Photograph: Quirky China News/Rex Features

Chongqing, 2007: A house, whose owner refused to accept a compensation deal by a property developer, is surrounded by the ongoing excavation at a construction site Photograph: China Photos/Getty Images AsiaPac