In 2010, China's State Electricity Network conducted a census of electric meters of subscribers from 660 cities. As a result of this event, a rather strange fact came to light. According to the results of the census, there were zero on the counters of 65.4 million apartments. That is, no one lives in these areas. As it turned out, since 2000, China has been building ghost towns. More than twenty points under construction remain uninhabited. Why does China need empty cities? Let's try to understand the article.
No housing crisis
It's hard to believe that in an overpopulated country where the birth of every child is almost a crime, there are empty cities. New buildings, highways, shops, parking lots, kindergartens, offices are being built in China. Of course, housing is provided with engineering and communication networks, water supply, electricity, and sewerage. Everything is ready for life. However, China is in no hurry to send its citizens to empty cities. ATwhat is the reason for their appearance?
One of the options
Why is China building empty cities? The government of the country sacredly keeps the secret, leaving the possibility only to assume the true purpose of these points. There is an opinion that empty cities in China are just a "duck". However, there are pictures of these uninhabited areas. Here it is worth saying that getting a photo of an empty city is, in general, not difficult. In any, even a large, metropolis, there is a period when there are neither people nor cars on the streets. It usually happens in the early morning. Well, if you didn’t manage to catch such a moment, you can use many well-known Photoshop programs. However, there are objections to this view. First of all, it should be said that the Chinese themselves do not deny the existence of such cities. In addition, there are reliable satellite images. They clearly show that at the height of the day there is no one on the streets, and there are no cars in the parking lots.
Conspiracy theory
There is also an opinion that every empty city in China stands on huge underground shelters. They are designed to receive several hundred million inhabitants. Thus, the Beijing government makes it clear to the authorities in Washington and Moscow that the country is quite ready for a nuclear war. As you know, underground shelters are considered the most effective way to protect the population from damaging factors (penetrating radiation, shock wave, radioactive contamination, radiation).
Empty cities in case of disaster
According to anotherThe Beijing government, anticipating the imminent change of power in the United States, is supposed to be preparing housing for its fellow citizens who are currently in America, but will be ready to leave it in the event of an economic collapse. A version is also being put forward that empty cities will become a refuge for the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire during an environmental disaster, when water will hide all coastal territories under it. And houses are being built in the most remote areas.
Investment
According to another version, empty cities are a monetary contribution of the government. The Beijing authorities considered that it is more profitable to keep money in real estate than in the accounts of Western banks. In this regard, monumental, but empty cities are being built - just in case. Again, this view is debatable. How long can an empty city last? The photos presented in the article quite fully illustrate these uninhabited areas - some of them have been standing for more than 10 years. They will stand for another 20 years, what will happen to them next? If no one populates empty cities, they will most likely have to be demolished.
New holiday villages
All empty cities are really being built away from the coast. At the same time, the least seismically hazardous territories are selected for their construction. Actually, all this can be explained. If there is a choice of location where to conduct such a monumental construction, then it is better to play it safe right away and provide adequate protection for future residents, at least from an earthquake and flood.
Kanbashi andOrdos
The above was a version of a profitable investment. There is some truth in this assumption. Many owners bought apartments from developers at the initial stages of construction. Now the cost of living space has increased several times. As it became known from some sources, in the city of Ordos, apartments in houses have their own owners. One of its districts - Kanbashi - is located twenty kilometers from the center. It is built in the middle of the desert. The area is designed for approximately 500,000 people. However, it looks completely empty, since about 30 thousand permanently live in it. In fact, there are almost no vacant apartments in the area. Ordos is considered one of the richest Chinese cities. It stands on deposits of natural gas and coal. At the same time, the Kanbashi district for its residents is something like a dacha. They go there for the weekend. It should also be said that the number of people who would like to work and live in Ordos is increasing every year. It follows from this that apartments in houses, even those built 20 km from the center, are constantly becoming more expensive.
Fly in the ointment
Almost no major undertaking can do without it, even in a country like China. Any large-scale construction is based on government subsidies. Responsible officials are appointed to control the movement of funds. However, not all of them are clean on hand. From time to time someone comes across on large thefts and frauds. So, for example, a fairly large settlement of Qingshuihe began to be built back in 1998. Howeverfor the next ten years it was never completed. By the way, an average city for 500,000 people is built in China in about 6-7 years. The money allocated for Qingshuihe magically disappeared. The perpetrators, of course, were found and brought to justice, but the settlement was never completed. For a long time it stands abandoned and completely uninhabitable. However, the story of this village is the exception rather than the rule.
In conclusion
Most experts still tend to the version associated with competent economic planning. In China, the population is constantly increasing, houses are being built. People go to work on construction sites, get a decent salary. And, of course, they all pay taxes. Having savings, people invest them in real estate. Often they buy the same apartments that they once built themselves. Thus, there is a uniform settlement of empty areas. According to statistics, every year a huge number of people move from villages to larger settlements. And the former Chinese metropolises will soon not be able to accommodate everyone. For those who do not want to live in the countryside, the government provides an opportunity to purchase an apartment in a new area.
