Short for 联排别墅 ('townhouse villa'). Three tiers of low-rise housing in Chinese real estate: 独栋别墅 (detached/single-family villa) > 双拼别墅 (semi-detached) > 联排 (townhouse, sharing two walls) > 叠拼 (stacked townhouse, two units stacked vertically).
culture
Real townhouses are relatively rare and high-end in Chinese cities (most live in high-rise apartments, 高层); 联排别墅 developments are typically suburban gated communities marketed to upper-middle-class families. 联 means 'connected/joined', describing the shared walls.
