Melbourne Locals Furious by Chinese Billionaire’s Demolishing Historic Mansion

The neighborhood of a luxury mansion in Toorak, Melbourne, is upset that the landmark structure is being pulled down despite their attempt to halt the Chinese wealthy owner for doing so.

Xiaoyan Bao, wife of Chinese billionaire Hua Wang, bought the one-hundred-year old mansion at a cost of over 18 million Australian dollars (about 15 million U.S. dollars) in 2013. The Queen Anne-style estate, beloved by the neighborhood, was marketed for sale as a “home for the generations” and “a rare and beautiful piece of Australian real estate.” Now, the front portion of the mansion has already been knocked down, and the demolition is to be continued.