Desert cities of China. Ghost towns in China: a side effect of the country's growing urbanization. Solvency of managers in China

In Soviet times, starting from the fifties, a lot of housing was built in the USSR, and at the same time there was a chronic shortage of it. A country with a population of a quarter of a billion people needed new homes, districts and even cities. At the same time and a little later, the famous "Khrushchevs" appeared, erected on a block or panel technology, modest, but giving millions of citizens the opportunity to move in a separate area and forget the hateful communal apartments, not to mention the basements. In the last decade, mass construction has been launched in the PRC, but its results are strikingly different from the Soviet ones. Chinese citizens do not celebrate the receipt of warrants, do not dance at housewarming parties, but continue to live in the same conditions as before. New houses, districts and cities are empty. Why?

Housing in the PRC is expensive. It would be more correct to note that it is incommensurate with the income of the average Chinese. However, this concept as such is meaningless, since the stratification of society is very great. In large cities, a highly qualified employee can receive a salary of four hundred or even five hundred dollars, but in order to get this job, you need to try hard. The level of education, knowledge is important (there is an incentive not to be limited to an educational institute or university program, but to comprehend sciences and languages ​​on their own) and experience. In Shanghai (this city is the leader in terms of the average salary in China) or Guangzhou (they also appreciate specialists), getting a good position, for example, an export sales manager, requires knowledge of technology, two or three languages, the ability to communicate and many other professional skills. This is what they will pay.

Incomes of the general public

There is no hunger in China. There is enough food, and this is a tremendous achievement of the reform policy of the leadership of the Communist Party, which departed from Maoism and proclaimed a course towards the development of the market. Nevertheless, the peasants in the PRC live in poverty. From time to time they are invited to work in the city, where they are offered to perform simple operations on industrial enterprises... This tedious and monotonous work is episodic and makes it possible to earn "real money" and not just food. Coming to his native village in two or three weeks, such a “shabashnik” is considered a wealthy person for some time (until the money runs out) and may even marry successfully. The Chinese coolie cannot count on buying a city apartment. This dream is unattainable.

Solvency of managers in China

Now about the mentioned middle managers. He is also unlikely to be able to save up ten to fifteen thousand dollars for a separate most modest apartment. In Shanghai or Guangzhou, food costs money, although it can be called moderate. In addition, housing has to be rented, and this also cuts the budget. Mortgage programs and, in general, lending exist, but they are no more favorable than Russian ones, interest rates "bite". And yet, having tried very hard, you can realize this dream and achieve your goal, especially if you make a successful career and break out into the category of top managers. This is difficult, especially given that trade and exports have dropped significantly in last years, and earnings, like ours, strongly depend on the volume of personal sales. Such young people and girls work very diligently, they fight for each client, but it is not yet possible to see them as mass buyers of real estate.

Ghost towns

Foreigners who accidentally visit the "ghost towns" are struck by many oddities here. China is a crowded country, all cities are packed with people, but here there is silence, peace and almost complete absence of not only residents, but also traces of their presence. The beautiful new residential high-rise buildings are empty, with heating in winter (obviously to avoid devastating temperature changes) and the elevators on. The infrastructure has also been created, the roads are smoothly paved, or the process of fine-tuning these works is underway. Another question is that all these wonders of urban civilization are located in the remote northern regions, where the population density has always been low, and sometimes even surrounded by desert. For example, in Inner Mongolia. There are even parks and sports facilities designed for mass visitors. Who will live here?

Defense version

A huge number of empty residential apartment buildings(there are up to 64 million of them, according to various estimates) and their service does not raise doubts that the government, which invests a lot of money in all this, has some plans for numerous objects, but is in no hurry to share them with the public, as Chinese and foreign. On the basis of this mysteriousness, it was even suggested that the PRC was preparing for nuclear war, as a result of which is ready to donate major cities, but the population can be resettled here, to the North. This assumption, of course, has a right to exist, but it does not seem very logical. Firstly, many millions of people need to be evacuated here, and there may not be time left for that. Secondly: what, in fact, will they do here? Sewing down jackets or collecting computers? And for whom? And thirdly, it turns out that the war is already very close. Why is the Chinese army preparing so poorly for it? And after all, from a long idle standing, houses deteriorate ...

Clue

Most likely, in this case, there is a feature of the Chinese national psychology, expressed, in particular, in the manner of doing business. In this, the state approach of the leaders of the PRC differs from the American and, alas, the conceived Russian one. This is called the ability to see the perspective. Real estate prices in China are growing quite rapidly, strategy economic development changes in favor of increasing internal solvency, and sooner or later all these apartments will become someone's property. Today, one meter already costs up to five thousand yuan (which is more than $ 700), having increased by 50% in recent years. Mass construction is a far-sighted way of investing money, rather than storing it in green American paper, with which it remains to be seen what will happen. And in the very near future.

Two new cities appear in the PRC every year. Already, these megalopolises can accommodate the entire population of Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus taken together. The Chinese probably know what they are doing ...

The ear is on the patient's hand - so that the organ is then transplanted where it should be.

Cities for the future

French photographer Raphael Olivier has returned from China's largest ghost town, Kanbashi. And he brought with him disturbing and hypnotic photographs of a sterile, modern, but deserted city with a population of over one million.

Photo by Raphael Olivier from the series "Failed Utopia"

For the first time, information about the massive construction of such cities appeared in the press in 2010. The Chinese authorities do not name the exact number, but according to various estimates they are from 20 to 50. In search of "ghosts", enthusiasts research satellite images, Google Earth photos, Internet activity in the Chinese search engine Baidu and reports on electricity consumption.

One could only guess about the reasons and the impressive pace of mass development that began about ten years ago. Among conspiracy lovers, there is an opinion that China is preparing for the Third World War, and empty cities are needed in order to settle the remaining residents from bombed cities there. No less popular versions: China, in anticipation of the collapse of the United States, is creating housing for the multi-million dollar diaspora in the States - or preparing for a massive resettlement from the regions it threatens.

Whatever the real reasons, the construction of new cities splashes gasoline into the fire of Chinese urbanization and spurs economic growth. In 2014, China published a report with a plan for new cities of about 250 million inhabitants (!) Until 2026.

Please note that the grandiose construction began at the dawn of the Chinese miracle - the technological and economic breakthrough of the Middle Kingdom, when the country from a cheap copying machine turned into a technology creator. These cities were built in dreams of change. Throw in a fantastic potpourri of architectural styles, forgeries that are in no way inferior to the originals, and incredible budgets that have gone into the void of these streets - and you will get Chinese ghost towns.

Cities whose future is unknown, but the past simply does not exist.

“Being in a metropolis, you can easily name its approximate age based on architectural styles, landscape conditions and other details,” says American photographer Kai Kemmerer, who also returned from China with a “ghost” photo series. "But Chinese cities built in the last five or six years are completely devoid of these clues."

Photo by Kai Kaemmerer from the series "The Unborn Cities"

The words we deserve

Previously, the British dictionary Collins also selected the leaders of 2016. Brexit topped the list, with 3400% more use than the previous year. Plus: "Trumpism" (meaning Trump's lively polemic), again "hugge" and "Uberization" (derived from Uber; implies a business model based on mobile technology and the elimination of middlemen).

Tumbleweed garden

In the meantime, we dream about flying cars and, students of the London school of architecture Barletta William Victor Camilleri and Danilo Sampaio are trying to rethink the role of plants in the city. This is how the Hortum Machina B robotic garden project was born.

The creators call the garden " nervous system plants ". In the center of the sphere there are twelve modules fixed on cables. The structure is equipped with solar panels, water tanks and sensors that monitor the state of plants - their response to light and moisture. If the performance deteriorates, the system moves the modules, the center of gravity shifts, and the ball goes unaided in search of a new habitat.

“In the near future, we will be surrounded by unmanned electric vehicles, aerial vehicles and many other robotic forms. Among them, there will certainly be a place for the cyber gardener Hortum Machina B. "

The shell of Hortum Machina B is constructed from aluminum pipes according to the principle of a geodesic dome. In architecture, this structure of simple triangles was first used by an American engineer

The truly phenomenal construction boom that swept China at the beginning of the 21st century has spawned an amazing phenomenon in the real estate market - ghost towns, built "in reserve".

Empty blocks of high-rise buildings and huge complexes of office skyscrapers, deserted streets with flashing traffic lights, hypermarkets without goods and customers, kindergartens without children, universities without students, wide avenues without cars, abandoned amusement parks, theaters and museums without visitors - no, this is not the entourage of another post-apocalyptic blockbuster. These are the realities of modern China - ghost towns, the number of which has exceeded two dozen, millions of comfortable square meters, where no one lives.

At one time, China set itself a number of strategic tasks, the solution of which is the key to the existence of the state: maintaining high rates of economic growth; providing the population with work; large-scale urbanization; industrialization and multifaceted modernization of the economy; utilization of free finance flooding the country with trade surpluses, undervalued yuan and foreign investment.

Construction turned out to be the panacea that allows you to simultaneously solve all these problems. At one time, even John Maynard Keynes proposed "digging holes and then filling them up again" as a cure for the recession. China developed this idea a little and, in addition to digging holes, began to build cities, bridges, roads, factories, turning construction industry into one of the main engines of the economy.

However, the generous “pumping up” of construction investments, the gigantic volumes of free financial resources eventually led to a huge surplus of real estate in the Chinese market. In 2011, the State Grid Company of the People's Republic of China released data for 660 cities. And it turned out that no one used electricity in 65 million apartments, in other words, they are empty. This amount of housing would be enough to relocate there at least 200 million people - all residents of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, France and Great Britain combined.

New areas of the Suzhou metropolis in the east of the country in the lower reaches of the Yangtze. Soviet architects who knew a lot about the construction of new cities would have envied the scale of the urban planning plan, but pay attention to the number of cars on these wide and completely deserted avenues.

Xinyang city in Henan province. The central square with the building of the city administration. The territory is completely landscaped, but there is no one to use it.

Dongguan city in the south of China. In 2005, New South China Mall opened here, the second largest shopping and entertainment complex in the world after the famous Dubai Mall. The huge structure, designed for 2,350 stores, has been virtually completely empty since its opening. Nevertheless, the complex is not closed and continues to be maintained in a working condition.

Qianduchen city near Shanghai. It was erected in 2007 and is a miniature copy of Paris, even with its own Eiffel Tower. Despite the picturesque architectural environment, which is so unusual for the inhabitants of the country, the area designed for 100,000 inhabitants is popular only among newlyweds who are greedy for beautiful picture for wedding photos. Most of the apartments in the "Parisian" residential buildings the Shanghai suburb did not find its owners.

Chenggong, satellite city of 6 million Kunming. It is considered as the main reserve for the expansion of the neighboring metropolis. Giant funds have been successfully mastered here, but gaping window openings residential high-rise buildings have not yet found their "beneficiaries".

Kanbashi, Ordos area. The most famous of China's ghost towns. Grew up in 6-7 years right in the middle of the desert in Inner Mongolia, stands on very large deposits of coal and natural gas. It can accommodate up to 1 million inhabitants, but now it is barely 20% populated.

Of course, in the Middle Kingdom, with its countless population, there are many who want to improve their living conditions. So why are ghost towns empty? First, many of them were built away from busy trade routes and large enterprises, far from civilization. Secondly, not every Chinese is able to "raise" a loan to buy an apartment. Thirdly, often decisions on construction projects are taken to the detriment of economic as well as environmental feasibility. One such example is Qingshuihe, a village near the administrative center of Inner Mongolia. Qingshuihe construction began in 1998 and was finally abandoned in 2008 due to lack of funds. Local officials were prosecuted, and the village remained unfinished and completely uninhabitable. There are also examples of cities planted in the immediate vicinity of the phosphogypsum mountains, a highly toxic waste.

Some experts suggest that the presence of such a frightening amount of empty square meters is a dangerous anomaly, that soap bubble that must burst, leading to a severe economic crisis. However, in China, where the annual growth of the urban population is 10-12 million people, they are firmly convinced that ghost towns will sooner or later be inhabited, even if in some places they will remain empty for several years. "After all, these are enormous losses!" - you say. Yes, but the Celestial Empire has so much money today that it can afford it. In addition, there are already examples in China of how insane spending seemingly "nowhere" after a while brought impressive returns. In particular, Shanghai's Pundong district, 10 years ago, resembled a lifeless desert dotted with skyscrapers, and today it is a flourishing and prestigious corner of the metropolis, with a capacity of 5.5 million people.

In 2010, the PRC Goselectroset Company carried out a census of electric meters of subscribers from 660 cities. As a result of this event, a rather strange fact became clear. According to the results of the census, the counters of 65.4 million apartments were zero. That is, no one lives in these areas. As it turned out, since 2000, China has been building ghost towns. More than twenty erected sites remain unoccupied. Why does China need empty cities? Let's try to figure it out in the article.

No housing crisis

It's hard to believe that there are empty cities in an overpopulated country where the birth of every child is considered almost a crime. New buildings, highways, shops, parking lots, kindergartens and offices are being built in China. Naturally, housing is provided with running water, electricity and sewerage. Everything is ready for life. However, it is in no hurry to send its citizens to the empty ones. What is the reason for their appearance?

One of the options

Why is China building empty cities? The government of the country keeps a sacred 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. It should be said here that getting a photo of an empty city, in general, is not difficult. In any, even large, megalopolis there is a period when there are no people or cars on the streets. This 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. There are, however, objections to this opinion. 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 imagery. They clearly show that in the midst of the day there is no one on the streets, and there are no cars in the parking lots.

"Conspiracy theory"

It is also believed that every empty city in China stands on huge underground shelters. They are designed to accommodate several hundred million residents. Thus, the government of Beijing makes it clear to the authorities of Washington and Moscow that the country is quite ready for effective way protection of the population from damaging factors (penetrating radiation, radioactive contamination, radiation).

Empty cities in case of disaster

According to another assumption, the Beijing government, anticipating an imminent change of power in the United States, is 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 Middle Kingdom when the 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 it more profitable to keep money in real estate than in Western bank accounts. In this regard, monumental, but empty cities are being built - just in case. Again, this opinion is debatable. How long can an empty city stand? The photos presented in the article fully illustrate these not settlements- 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 the empty cities, most likely they will have to be demolished.

New holiday villages

All empty cities are indeed being built off the coast. At the same time, the least earthquake-prone areas 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 immediately play it safe and provide adequate protection for future residents, at least from earthquakes and floods.

Kanbashi and Ordos

Above was the version of a profitable investment. There is some truth in this assumption. Many owners bought apartments from developers for another initial stages erection. 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 about 500,000 people. However, it looks completely empty, since about 30 thousand live in it permanently. In fact, there are almost no vacant apartments in the area. Ordos is considered one of the richest cities in China. It stands on deposits of natural gas and coal. At the same time, the Kanbashi area for its residents is something like a summer residence. They come 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 getting more expensive.

A spoon of tar

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 gets caught in large thefts and frauds. So, for example, a fairly large settlement of Qingshuihe began to be built back in 1998. However, over the next ten years, it was never completed. By the way, an average city of 500 thousand people is being 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 village was never completed. For a long time it has been abandoned and completely uninhabitable. However, the story with this village is the exception rather than the rule.

Finally

Most experts are still inclined towards 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, receive a decent salary. At the same time, of course, they all pay taxes. Having savings, people invest them in real estate. They often 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 megalopolises will soon be unable to accommodate everyone. For those who do not want to live in the village, the government provides an opportunity to purchase an apartment in a new area.

There is very little information about these cities in the media, because this can worsen the situation on the housing market. But despite this, experts from Peking University were able to draw up a map that depicts ghost towns. Nevertheless, we decided to consider the seven huge ghost cities in more detail.

Some time ago John Maynard Keynes- the famous economist suggested digging holes and filling them up again - as a cure for an economic downturn.

Chinese government decided to take this advice and develop it to perfection. Thus, ghost towns began to appear throughout the Middle Kingdom, this helps the people of China to solve a series of problems: unemployment dropped to 4-5% also every year many millions of peasants move to ready-made cities, constantly the local budget is replenished due to the sale of apartments.

But the Chinese sages did not take into account the speed of the emergence of new cities. In the created cities they do not have time to populate the inhabitants and the cities are empty, which brings thoughts of ghostly castles.

With the onset of the financial crisis, China's ghost cities have worsened as the country has begun producing massive quantities of cement. This process could not be stopped, and therefore the state decided to continue the construction of cities.

Yingkou

Liaoning Province is dependent on mining. Therefore, it was decided to rebuild the economy, as this was supposed to change the situation: the Chinese government sent finances to new industries, and construction companies quickly began building housing for employees. The city was built very quickly, but there are no residents in it still.

New Hebi

Hebi is the capital of Henan province. This city existed thanks to coal mines. But after some time, a new deposit was discovered near Khebi. This prompted the city authorities to create another industrial zone - "New Hebi". For twenty years, no one has mastered the new territory.

Thames town

In this town it was decided to reproduce the British countryside... The city was designed by an American architect Tony Mackay... Real estate was bought up by wealthy people - as a worthy investment. Due to the fact that real estate prices in this town have risen sharply, it scared off ordinary people, and on this moment Thames Town is a tourist destination.

Tanducheng

This city was built in Zhejiang province. And also this town can be called little Paris. But unfortunately, there are no residents in this city either, despite the fact that the copy of the Eiffel Tower looks almost real.

Chenggong

Chenggong City was built due to the huge number of students. It was planned to build huge high-rise buildings for hundreds of thousands of residential apartments. Locals bought the bulk of housing as an investment, but no one began to live here.

Caofeidian

Caofeidian was to become the first ultra-eco-friendly city... It was built several hundred kilometers from Beijing. In this city, they planned to use only renewable energy. The goal of the people living in this city is to show how good an environmentally friendly life is. In spite of 90 billion invested in the construction of the city, it is still empty.

Ordos

Ordos is a large center of the autonomous republic of Inner Mongolia. The Chinese government has decided to expand the city by placing a new district, Kanbashi, nearby. It was expected that about a million people will live in the new district, but at the moment the population of the district is only twenty thousand.