Illustration: Peter C. Espina/GT

In a clash that seemed straight out of the history books, iron "cannons" were pitted against government bulldozers this week in Henan Province. Zhou Jianbang is just one of millions of Chinese to be "relocated" by the local government. But unhappy with the compensation he was offered, Zhou constructed the fake cannons, fortunately unable to actually fire a shot, in a protest against the authorities. Each cannon is covered with red cloth and adorned with a banner bearing slogans such as "tit for tat is fair play" or "bring back my homeland." The incident, described as a "farce" by the local authorities, highlights the always-contentious issue of land acquisition in an increasingly urbanized country.