Chinese villagers move 30-year-old house just by lifting it up

On 9th February, in Lahai Village, Mochong Town, Duyun City, Guizhou Province, villagers came together to successfully relocate a 30-year-old house without using heavy machinery.

The house belonged to villager He Tengjian, who planned to rebuild a new home on the original site due to changes in the surrounding environment and personal needs. However, before construction could begin, the existing house needed to be temporarily relocated. Rather than relying on large-scale equipment, He Tengjian turned to the collective strength of his fellow villagers.

Lahai Village is home to over 900 residents, and the community has a tradition of coming together to help one another. Whenever a household faces a challenge, neighbours quickly gather to offer support.

During the relocation, the villagers displayed exceptional coordination and teamwork. They first secured the structure with sturdy wooden beams and ropes. Once everything was in place, at a unified call, hundreds of villagers lifted the house together and slowly moved it about 50 metres to a safe location. Remarkably, the house remained intact throughout the process, demonstrating the expert craftsmanship of traditional builders and the resilience of its mortise-and-tenon construction.