BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) — A couple in south China’s Guangdong Province have ended their one-year battle to protect their house from being razed by developers after receiving compensation.

    The old couple, Cai Zhuxiang and Zhang Lianhao, from Shenzhen, refused to reveal details about the compensation but it is believed to be between a staggering 10 million and 20 million yuan(about 1.3 million to 2.7 million U.S. dollars).

    The couple’s seven-storey brick building lies in the booming downtown area of Shenzhen’s Luohu district. A photo on China’s portal website Sina.com shows it is erected on a bare excavation site as large as 63 football fields against the backdrop of a forest of fancy buildings.

    Cai, 57, received the notice ordering him to move this April, when the compensation offered by developer was only 5,000 yuan (657.9 U.S. dollars) per square meter. “Departments near my house were all sold at a price above 16,000 yuan (2,105.3 U.S. dollars),” he said.

    He noted that the building, which was built ten years ago, cost him one million yuan.

    The site is expected to be turned into a financial center including a 439-meter-tall skyscraper, according to the developer Shenzhen Kingkey Group.

    Another three “nail house” owners are having further negotiations with the developers, according to local media reports.

    Disputes between house owners and developers have long been a problem in resettlement work. Early April, a couple in southwest China’s Chongqing municipality became the focus of the international media by winning a battle with developers after achieving an additional compensation.

    Experts believe that the protests reflect a growing dissatisfaction among common people about the way sites are commandeered and buildings demolished.

    China passed its landmark property law in March with a new emphasis on the protection of private property. The law is to become effective from October 1.

    This is the first time that equal protection of state and private properties has been enshrined in Chinese law, which analysts say marks a significant step in the country’s efforts to further economic reforms and boost social harmony.