When cracks appeared in Xiao 's house he feared the worse . Xiao 's hometown , Jining , is one of China 's massive `` coal cities '' `` I knew the day was coming , but I did n't expect it to happen so soon , '' said Xiao , who has been forced to move from the land -- on which four generations of his family have lived -- as a consequence . He watched many of his neighbors ' homes sink into the ground . The government has been trying to rebuild these houses Sinkholes devouring 20 million square meters of land here a year .
When cracks appeared in Xiao 's house he feared the worse . Xiao 's hometown , Jining , is one of China 's massive `` coal cities '' He watched many of his neighbors ' homes sink into the ground . The government has been trying to rebuild these houses Sinkholes devouring 20 million square meters of land here a year .