A millionaire from Shanxi province recently sweared he would buy an underground palace at the Eastern Royal Tombs of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) for 100 million yuan ($15.51 million) after he was told that the underground palace was not open to the public. The country’s law stipulates that cultural heritage sites such as tombs are protected and cannot be sold, and the rich should know their limits, says an article in cnhubei.com. Excerpts:
A common joke in the past went something like this: a teacher asks a student who burnt down Yuanmingyuan (Old Summer Palace), the student says it was not his fault, his father goes a step further saying “even if my son did so, I can compensate”. Such jokes satirize some rich people’s ignorance and arrogance. The millionaire from Shanxi is one of them.
But why do some rich people challenge public order and common sense? Schools, palaces and all such structures are public property that cannot be bought or sold or occupied by an individual. It seems that some rich people believe that “money is almighty”.
The nexus between money and power in some quarters is the “chief culprit” that has made millionaires and billionaires intrude on public space. In a society ruled by law, regularity should be the leading spirit of social life. Especially in the public sphere, the rules of reasonable and legal admittance can avoid illegal occupation of public resources by the rich and protect public interests.
In reality, many such rules are enforced with discounts. According to their belief that money is almighty, many millionaires have been violating rules and ignoring social regulations.
Given the gradual maturity of social organizations, the trend of civil society is to encourage people to pursue public participation, and the wealthy should honor social order as their basic responsibility if they want to integrate into society. The rich should follow laws and social norms if they want to be part of a fast maturing society.
Source: China Daily