rootninja

What ghost cities?

http://www.newgeography.com/content/002159-zhengzhou-ghost-city-alive

Check out the people living in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province, China as of March 2011.

This place hasn’t just sprung to life over night either, or has it? It’s easy to find report after report of places like Zhengzhou, devoid of people; a purported testament to government corruption in the public for everyone to see.

There are many satellite photos depicting public buildings, residential housing, roads, and parking lots all completely empty like something out of Survivor (post-apocalyptic TV show on BBC, not to be confused with the lowbrow reality show of similar name!) I found the images of sprawling urban landscapes quite haunting.

http://blogs.worldbank.org/transport/rise-of-the-chinese-ghost-town

If the reports of new urban projects – brand new cities meant to replace aging cities elsewhere – are true, and the government will relocate citizens, then what exactly is to happen to the residents of these old overcrowded metropolises that get left behind?

Has the Chinese residential bubble just been relieved or will it still prove to be the next Dubai bust? And will that have a ripple effect throughout the world like an economic tsunami? While opportunities will arise for creative and entrepreneurial souls, somehow I don’t quite foresee everyone’s future to be so bright.

Meanwhile on Chinese websites like

http://www.chinalandscapes.com

The city is a national historical and cultural city and also the first destination for any Henan Tour. The ancient city was the capital of Shang Dynasty (16th – 11th century BC) 3,500 years ago when porcelain and the Chinese technique of bronze smelting were comparatively more developed.

From http://www.chinalandscapes.com/China_guide/chinaguide4-132.html