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Capsule inventor in charity promise

By Liu Yujie (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-05-25 07:52

Pensioner Huang Rixin, 79, has spent 280,000 yuan designing and building five types of capsule apartments across Beijing. Feng Yongbin / China Daily

Huang Rixin, the pioneering pensioner who invented capsule living in Beijing, has revealed he will donate his latest design to charity.

The 79-year-old unveiled the fifth generation of his capsule apartment on Monday and announced he is looking for an NGO or educational organization to take on the project.

"I turn 80 next year but I still want to do something for the society," he told METRO before pledging to provide any altruistic partners with his expertise.

Huang's affordable apartments are targeted at the capital's floating population - graduates, white-collar workers and migrant laborers. According to official data, this group reached 10 million people in 2010, although due to financial pressures and rising rental costs they are often forced to live in cramped basements (the "mouse tribe") or partitioned rooms (the "ant tribe").

The latest room design, which is patent pending, is 15 square meters and features foldable bunk beds, a semi-open kitchen, an ensuite bathroom and a balcony. The retired engineer says it can accommodate a family of two or three people.

"I didn't do enough advertising for my capsules in the past," said Huang, explaining why very few people have shown an interest in investing. "I'll pay more attention to advertising in the future and I believe the new mode of living will soon be welcomed by developers and people with low and middle incomes."

This is not the first time Huang has given away one of his designs. Last year he handed over a property containing the third generation of his capsule rooms - each 6 square meters - to Shijingshan district government. His decision came after a new policy required all rental apartments to be at least 10 square meters.

Although he admitted feeling disappointed that the Beijing government has not shown support for his developments over the past two years, he said: "I won't give up, I'll carry on with the idea to benefit the majority."

Huang, who survives on a pension of about 3,000 yuan, has so far invested more than 280,000 yuan in designing and building his capsule apartments. His first project, which involved renovating his old house in Andingmen, is today rented by two couples for 1,500 yuan a month. The inventor and his wife plan to release a book on their experiences this year.

"Everything I do is fueled by the sincere wish to improve the living conditions of the ant and mouse tribes, and more importantly make the government finally pay attention to the housing problems facing the floating population," said the inventor, who was voted the "most charitable elderly person of 2010" by an online poll conducted by the China National Committee on Ageing and the All-China Journalists' Association.

"The city cannot keep developing without the floating population. It would be indecent if the government just kick them out for fire risk or public security reasons without giving them affordable alternatives," he said, referring to the recent measures to enhance the management of the city's underground spaces.

"Even if I fail to realize my dream in my lifetime, I'll still have confidence that my grandson, who is only 1 year old now, will see the success of his grandfather's capsule apartments," he added.

Wang Jianwei, a 32-year-old express delivery worker who lives in a 10-square-meter basement room in Lizexiyuan, Chaoyang district, is one of Huang's many fans. He said: "I really expect to see this new model of apartments being available for purchase in the future."

China Daily

(China Daily 05/25/2011)