Xie Shizhang spends 200,000 yuan to have an elevator installed in the corridor for himself and his wife.(Photo/Qianjiang Evening News)

Xie Shizhang, 80, lives in Hangzhou City in east China's Zhejiang province. He received many visitors on May 31 because he spent 200,000 yuan to have an elevator installed in the corridor for himself and his wife. People all wanted to see this "strange" elevator which operates in the corridor.

Living on the 5th floor, 80-year-old Xie and his 79-year-old wife have trouble walking up and down stairs. Originally, he wanted to sell his apartment and buy one at the ground level in the same community; however, he couldn't find an appropriate home to buy.

Later he decided to install an elevator. Installing a full elevator would require going through a complicated approval process and cost 400,000-500,000 yuan. As he thought it over and over again, it suddenly occurred to him that he could install a sectional relay elevator in the corridor which he read about in the newspaper once before. Installing such an elevator is simpler and cheaper. He just needed to get the neighbors to approve it. 

Xie knocked on the doors of neighbors one after another and all of them agreed to let him have the elevator installed. So, Xie's children paid 200,000 yuan for the elevator and now Xie and his wife can go up and down comfortably. 

Xie said that he very much appreciates his neighbors' consent; after all, the elevator has been installed in a public space. He has told them to use the elevator whenever they need.