BF2S Forums China's Ghost Cities

Interesting that they mentioned Zhengzhou. Spent a week there and I didn't notice anything "empty" about any part of that city. There was a lot of construction, but that was evident in all three cities we visited.

The mall bit was kind of eery. The mall in Zhengzhou wasn't too busy when we went there, but the Wal-Mart right next door was packed every day.

This could all be a timing thing, tbh. As said before, in China, a population the size of NYC is transitioning from rural to urban areas every month. They have to find a place to put them. Overpriced apartments aren't going to do that, but since it's a centrally-managed economy, they can get what they can now from those who can afford it, then distribute the remainder at lower prices when there's increased pressure from the populace as the middle class grows once the rural families move to the cities, get more educated, and take root there. The trick is going to be keeping up empty infrastructure while that happens.

The population needs an intermediate solution before it can transition into true middle class standing. Right now you have slums and expensive apartments. Cheap housing projects are what's needed.

Judging by the interview he definitely wasn't happy to be living there though.

Last edited by Shocking (2011-07-20 04:43:46)

china is a shithole tbh

I spent a month there

got diarrhea twice.

You know shop merchants charge you more if you speak english?

Last edited by Trotskygrad (2011-07-20 07:22:03)

if i was president id invade the sinosphere

Trotskygrad wrote:

china is a shithole tbh

I spent a month there

got diarrhea twice.

You know shop merchants charge you more if you speak english?

Can't provide potable water in Zhengzhou, but they can provide loads of empty apartments.

Yeah. I wasn't terribly impressed.

Stimey wrote:

Seen this a while ago, I chinese student who is studying at my university posted this to his facebook.
They'll get used eventually.

How long will that take? You can't just drop a building somewhere and leave it. All of those buildings, homes, roads, power lines, etc. have to be maintained.

I doubt enough Chinese will move away from rice farming onto a job that could afford those apartments before the Central government decides to stop or can no longer afford to pay to maintain all of that.

Last edited by Macbeth (2011-07-20 16:46:50)

lol

I agree mcbreast

however the apartments certainly wont cost as much as the average American apartment (I forget whether the video says how much or not)
or maybe the government will get their shit together and start subsidizing commercial/industrial ventures that promote growth in the area

so really they could be sitting empty for 5 or 50 years, just depends on the action taken I suppose

rich area in taichung is full of near empty apartments bought off by chinese speculators lol.

Aren't/weren't there a bunch of condo highrises in Florida that were sitting empty?  I recall seeing a news clip about a man that was trying to sue the developers because he was the only resident in a huge complex.

eleven bravo wrote:

engrish

http://engrishfunny.failblog.org/