Party chiefs vow to target illegal villas

The Party chiefs of Xi'an and Shaanxi province vowed action over the weekend to tackle the problem of illegal construction in the ecologically sensitive Qinling Mountains, after a number of high-ranking officials were probed or punished over corruption.

An investigation in the summer found that many villas had been built without permission in the city's green areas since a campaign targeted them in 2014.

As a result, hundreds of the homes were demolished in recent weeks and landscape restoration work is ongoing, according to the city government.