Rural palatial houses a waste of resources

I've been to quite a number of villages in different parts of China, and like anyone else would be, I too am amazed at the sheer size of the houses, farmers' houses, that exist in the countryside.

Shanties do exist, but ask a farmer what he'd do the first thing if he could afford a big house he'd tell you he'd raze the shanty to the ground.

A surprising number of farmers manage to afford big houses, big enough to seem clearly disproportionate to the number and needs of the village's inhabitants.