China House Pictures

As far as planning disputes go, it is a far cry from letters of complaint to the council over an unsightly conservatory.

After a row with developers, this family's home has been left perched 12m (40ft) up on its own concrete island.

It all started when they refused to accept compensation to move and, while the row rumbled on, the bulldozers excavated the site around them.

Rumoured to have government connections, the family is not expected to be forced out.

But popping to the shops might be a bit difficult. And as for getting the car out of the garage – well, who knows?

The house is in Chongqing, central China – the fastest growing urban centre in the world, with more than 4million residents.


One of Jonathan Wise's earliest memories is running across the bridge by the entrance to the China House near his Forest Hill home and throwing a penny in the water. That bridge is still there, as is the papier mache tree in the dining room and the iconic neon sign, which is good, because Jonathan -- just returned to Toronto with his wife after 25 years working in the luxury hotel business -- is the new owner of the China House.

Every city probably had a version of the China House -- a mid-century modern take on Chinoiserie, with cocktail lounge curves painted lacquer red, murals of dragons and courtesans on the wall, keyhole doors and a sign in bold calligraphy strokes, lined in bright neon. The China House has it all, though according to Wise, most of it needed a good clean after 52 years in business.

For some reason, the stretch of Eglinton between Bathurst and the Allen Expressway has been kind to Chinese eateries like this, and while Jonathan Wise works to restore the China House, House of Chan just a block east has been doing business for 55 years, moving from traditional Americanized Cantonese food to steakhouse years ago, on a whim of its second of just three owners.
Back at the China House, Jonathan Wise says he doesn't intend to radically change the menu, beyond adding more vegetables, bringing back dim sum, putting healthier oils in the deep fryers, and banishing MSG. He knows that the ambiance of a place like the China House is priceless, and wants to provide service that's up to that standard, but judging from the reactions of regulars after being closed for just a few days, he's certain that the place could run for another 50 years. "I think people in Toronto are very supportive of things that are iconic, traditional, have historical relevance, and it's like the Field of Dreams thing - they ache for something historical."