China’s Ghost Cities: Why Do These Modern Urban Marvels Stand Empty?

China is famous for its rapid growth, tall buildings, and massive infrastructure works. But this achievement is topped with an unusual phenomenon called ghost cities. Ghost cities are new urban centers with broad boulevards, high-end apartments, shopping centers, and office skyscrapers, but few occupants. They appear to be tomorrow's megacities, but are empty and quiet.

What Are Ghost Cities in China?

Ghost cities are large urban developments built to handle China’s growing population and urbanization. They were built by the government and private enterprise in anticipation of city-bound migration from rural areas. Yet few of them attracted sufficient inhabitants, so they remain vacant or half-full.

Why Did China Build So Many Empty Cities?

China's boom fueled huge development projects. Local governments and developers invested heavily in real estate because property sales brought quick profits. But not many could afford the exorbitant prices of housing, and employment was scarce, so migration never took place as intended.

Famous Ghost Cities in China

A number of ghost cities in China have become well-known around the world:

• Ordos Kangbashi, Inner Mongolia – It's referred to as one of the best-known ghost cities as it was constructed for 1 million residents but is largely uninhabited.
• Tianducheng, Zhejiang Province – It was constructed to resemble Paris, including a replica of the Eiffel Tower, but contains very few inhabitants.
• Yujiapu, Tianjin – It's sometimes referred to as "China's Manhattan," as it was intended to be a financial center but is largely vacant.

Do People Actually Live in Ghost Cities?

Surprisingly, not all ghost cities are totally vacant. A few have tiny populations, but much less than was intended. Ordos, for instance, currently has about 100,000 people, but that is a fraction of the city's total capacity. The majority of apartments are unsold or purchased as investments, rather than as places to actually live.

Are Ghost Cities an Indication of Economic Distress?

Several experts believe ghost cities show flaws in China's economic model. Land sales and construction depend a great deal on local governments for revenues. Cities constructed in the absence of a planned supply of jobs and industries do not attract people. Vacant buildings are resources wasted and banks' and developers' financial liabilities.

Will China's Ghost Cities Ever Be Filled?

Some ghost cities may eventually fill up as populations grow and industries expand. For example, Zhengdong in Henan Province was once called a ghost city but is now expanding it's businesses and universities. But others can continue to be underutilized for decades if there are no employment opportunities or low-cost dwellings to encourage people.

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