And now it's time once again for our special series - "Chinese Terminology". Today, Jonathan Betz looks at the magnitude of China's reform and opening up program and, in particular, the term "nail households", or 'dingzihu' in Chinese.

This house is just one of the many so-called "nail households", or "dingzihu in Chinese. They are dubbed that because they stick out and are hard to remove, like a stubborn nail. There are thousands of such homes across the country, and it happens when homeowners refuse to accept compensation from property developers for demolition. China has been undergoing rapid urbanization in recent decades, and homeowners are often asked to relocate to make way for new urban projects. The country has regulations to protect the rights of holdover tenants. Rules stipulate that market-rate compensation be paid to relocated residents. But when homeowners refuse compensation, developers have no choice but to come up with creative ways to build around their homes. Most nail houses are eventually razed. But some remain, and massive infrastructure projects, from apartment complexes to mega-highways, are built around them.