The Porcelain House in Tianjin. [Photo/VCG]

Did the house owner violate the law?

The previously mentioned problems don't even provoke the most criticism. What concerns cultural experts the most was that Zhang's behaviors may have damaged the cultural relic.

After Zhang's decoration, the house was no longer one of the model buildings that represent Tianjin's historical features, said Fu Lei, director of Tianjin Memory, a local volunteer organization devoted to protecting architectural heritage. In fact, the renovation destroyed the historic house, and made it a scar of the city, Fu added.

The renovation of the Porcelain House broke the law, a staff member at the cultural relic institute in Heping district of Tianjin said in an interview with local media. As Huang Rongliang's former residence, the building's decoration must be authorized by related governmental departments. But Zhang didn't do that.

As for his alleged violation of the law, Zhang said his ceramic chip layer was corrosion-resistant and protected the house from collapse. According to Zhang, the house was on the verge of falling down when he bought it.