On May 19, the 79-year-old Mr. Yuan, along with his two sons, of southwest China, filed their applications for divorce with the local authorities. There is, however, some solace in this humiliation: almost everyone in the village is also getting divorced, and they’re doing it in a collective last-ditch attempt to get fair compensation for the imminent demolition of their community.
The rationale for divorces hinges on the fact that compensation is given to households, not individuals. By splitting their families, the villagers hope to leverage more cash out of the compulsory deal.
On May 19, Mr. Dan and Ms. Dan, a couple in their 80s, obtained their divorce certificate. via Visual China
