Terrified by a strong earthquake in 1999, a 70-something Taiwanese man insisted on sleeping in a shabby tent for eight years.

The elder, surnamed Zhan, saw many people crushed to death when buildings collapsed during the 1999 earthquake. Terrified, he built a tent in a forest, an area of 3.3 sq m that he continued living in after the earthquake, even through hurricanes and heavy rains. Local people worried that Zhan's health would deteriorate if he continued living in such a bad condition. They are now trying to persuade Zhan to move into the local elders' home.