China's Empty Cities House 64 Million Empty Apartments

Ghost Cities-China: China continues to build vast cities, but they remain almost completely uninhabited ghost towns. Subscribe to journeyman for daily uploads: kzbin.info_c...
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Vast new cities are being built across China at a rate of ten a year, but they remain almost completely uninhabited ghost towns. Racing to stay ahead of the world economy, is the superpower about to implode?
"There are around 64 million empty apartments in China," claims analyst Gillem Tulloch. It's all part of the Chinese government's efforts to keep its economy booming and there are plenty of people who would love to move in, but the properties are priced out of the market. It's after 2pm and in the new city of Dongguan shop owner Tian Yu Gao is yet to serve a single customer. "It's a bit boring," he sighs. His open shop is a rare sight in the Great Mall: once heralded by the New York Times as proof of China's astonishing consumer culture, today it is an eerie vista of emptiness. "It can't stay this way," insists Tulloch, "when the bubble bursts, it will impoverish vast numbers of people".
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[@sharonrichards1627]

I honestly believe that the whole world is collectively insane.

[@DATWagonator]

It's by design, a low knowledge populous is easy to control.

[@JESUSISLORDforever888]

Sharon, I agree 10000%

[@soreeyez]

and the sane are labelled insane by the insane........

[@JESUSISLORDforever888]

@@soreeyez YEP👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️🌸

[@artzmove571]

Yep

[@Alex-yw4ws]

Feel so bad for that guy selling the toys!

[@funnycnn]

Don't be, this very spot is now full of people. The video was shot in 2012, now there are more than 2 million people living in that area.

[@possiblyadickhead6653]

funnycnn why

[@takeaguess3527]

-lofioverlife- I know, me too!! My heart just broke for that poor man. Smh

[@marklee8644]

He closed his store and moved back to old oredos

[@georgewu5]

There are 1.4 billion Chinese people in China looking for a place to live, a toilet to shit, and a place to shop. Several million overbuilt building are the baits for the poor people to work harder to get there. High rise structures are the only logical way to over build for the future for 1.5 billion Chinese people to occupy after they worked hard enough. Shall we say this is capitalistic thinking. You bet it is ! The commune never got the incentive for people to work. There was a saying years ago in China that " It is 36 rmb if you work; it is also 36 rmb if you don't work. " So why work ?! Deng did a good job to change that laziness ! George Wu, AIA, ARCHITRECT, NCARB 2017-10-18

[@manuelseniceros9550]

I like how the guy that can’t buy a home says that “the government should intervene “ as if the government isn’t creating the problem

[@oldarkie3880]

That's the problem, government is intervening.

[@ourtechwriter]

The problem is he's been indoctrinated that the government, aka big brother Mao, has all the answers if they will only appeal to him. But of course he's met the end of all tyrants: lots of photos when alive, and stuffed in a viewing box when dead. Revered for antiquity.

[@timisaac8121]

yet he said first: "housing is a basic human right". What about that? You have some sharp answers. Is housing a basic human right?

[@eldermillennial8330]

On the plus side, it would be a fantastic place to film a live action Backrooms movie.

[@dabbbles]

'Democracy' both coming and going! Blame your voting/taxpaying neighbours.

[@playinglifeoneasy9226]

We have the same problem here in LIS angeles. Affordable housing replaced by over priced luxury condos nobody can afford.

[@DarhaLB]

Yup Orlando too. Actually most of Florida

[@lorascelsi8102]

Empty luxury buildings and homeless families, where's the logic?

[@jebsmith323]

Not the same in China. These were built without even expecting that people would live there. It "looks good" so that people will think it's affluent.

[@kawehionalani3957]

Same in Honolulu, Hawaii

[@jh748]

Don't exaggerate; maybe you can't afford but others clearly can.

[@i.t.chefnavasca9368]

I don't get this??? I watched a documentary about Hong Kong and they literally live in a box and here in the Mainland China, 64 million empty apartments? SMH...

[@LEXANNEPIANO]

Richard Navasca me too. I’m speechless. The government is extremely greedy and they have no compassion.

[@blyatmanmarkeson708]

Look the one ruler two countries policy up, this and the overall wealth of Hongkong and it’s social policies will explain it. Also there is a language barrier between Hongkong and mainland china

[@michealhebert9560]

Richard Navasca actually we all live in a box

[@tomaiken903]

Yes I saw a documentary too. They were in Hong Kong and living in actual cages. And it was not jail. And they were paying more money to live in the cage then to live in a fancy apartment. It was wild. 😱

[@pointblank0020]

64 million sounds like bullshit. I'm sure there's tons of empty apartments but it's probably not fucking 64 million..... right?

[@CrapeCraft]

China needs to realize that real life isn't sim city.

[@heLlo-wo8ff]

CaptainCrape You need to realize that they already populated this city with 2.5 million people and hundreds of active businesses.

[@CrapeCraft]

***** then they still think it's simcity!

[@heLlo-wo8ff]

Oh, I'm sorry. I mistook you for someone that had an iota of intelligence.

[@CrapeCraft]

***** I mistook you for someone who had a sense of humor. Oh and I'd like to mention I have a 4.0 GPA.

[@heLlo-wo8ff]

CaptainCrape I have a sense of humor, It's not my fault you aren't funny.

[@whatariskybusiness]

It would be interesting to watch updates on these projects after 11 years.

[@myemail5457]

A lot of these things are falling down. Abandoned and the same has happened in Russia too. Make work jobs that come back to haunt them.

[@twasbrillig33]

@Blair Witch hahaha!!!!

[@ociliacanton2017]

Either the population goes crazy in reproducing people Or a mass amount of wasteful ruins made for an ideology of a huge proportion not caring who they harm in the end, (themselves) WOW indirectly committing suicide and embracing it.

[@solominded]

still abandoned, bubble still growing, still building useless apartments

[@michaelotieno6524]

Zhengzhou has a population of 12.5 million people as at Sept 2022. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhengzhou

[@TheFiown]

When I lived in Shaoxing I counted 40 tower blockes going up at the same time and there were already tens of thousands of homes empty. Some Chinese I met lived in a dirt floor home with no plumbing as they don't want to spent money . When I moved there my boss took me an appartment in a high end luxury apartment tower like something in Dubai, I hated it, too bling and I was the only person living in the tower !

[@pikachuclasico2366]

horrible grammar dawg

[@coreyham3753]

Incredible waste ..... 64 million empty apartments.

[@johnarnold893]

@@pikachuclasico2366 Obviously not a native English speaker like you.

[@signheart7520]

@@pikachuclasico2366 ... The word "dawg" is not a real word, nor is it proper. Perhaps you should focus on the meaning of the comments and leave the corrections to real teachers.

[@DarhaLB]

@@pikachuclasico2366 I’m sure English is not her native tongue SMDH

[@ergosumadrieyl2927]

What’s crazy is i just came from a video about the cage apartments people live in in some parts of China. The waiting list for public housing is 10,000. Yet here, in their back pockets, are whole empty cities. Squander.

[@juliusmappatao7630]

Ergo Sum Adrieyl I came from the cage rooms of hongkong, hbu?

[@nayeemaali3131]

me too

[@latinamarie80]

Same- y cant they move here? Spread out.. So sad

[@samslow8989]

I came from their too. But HK is an island. This is in mainland China. HK, hates China. They don't want to live in this ghost city.

[@lrose1310]

They're vacant cause there's no opportunity there aka no jobs and no economy. All that only exists in a few big cities like Beijing and Shanghai and if you want a job not farming you go to those cities, therefore they're ridiculously crowded. This is China's way of trying to help that, but they totally forgot about building actual jobs and reasons people should go.

[@wwondertwin]

That was 2011 and in 2018 the situation has just continued. Those houses are still empty and falling apart now. Absolute insanity and such a waste of resources.

[@nori_04]

wondertwin have you been there recently?

[@AloofOof]

@@nori_04 advchina did an interesting episode on this topic 2 years ago... ghost cities havent changed from 2011

[@adventureteacher2140]

Sorry, but this is incorrect information. This mall is almost at full occupancy now. Dongguan has 8 million people now and is a fairly popular place to live if you don't want the overcrowdedness of Guangzhou as your home. I live 45 minutes by bus from Dongguan. EDIT: Here's a good article on the topic. theculturetrip.com/asia/china/articles/worlds-biggest-shopping-mall-china-no-longer-ghost-mall/

[@sjwilkin]

Adventure Teacher so all is good now in dongguan? I got the train through it once and it looked fairly occupied (June)

[@adventureteacher2140]

@@sjwilkin Yeah, a ton of people live there now. It was bound to happen once Guangzhou basically exploded in population.

[@hankreacts627]

Just saw the Evergrande disaster recently and I can say yea this aged really damn well.

[@hankreacts627]

@Ernest Khalimov links

[@ILoveCiniminis]

I lived in one of these empty cities when I went with my ex-wife to visit her mum in Beijing. We choose one of those apartments for 2 weeks and it was cheaper than a hotel or a rental house that is not dirty and old. But still, not cheap... During the night there was rarely any light on being seen in someone's window. There was probably 1 grocery place close to our "neighborhood" where we went to buy sometimes something, otherwise, everything was closed and we needed to take the metro train to a normal supermarket. I still have that feeling from that time there inside me. I still have pictures in my old phone from there. It looks like reference material for a post-apocalyptic game or movie. Also, her mother lived in really bad conditions, we went to visit her sharehouse. And I won't even talk about her job and her payment... She went missing.

[@askmefirst9625]

they can film the next walking dead.

[@igorbuarque]

ask mefirst same thought here

[@michaelreilly3513]

The air is so dirty you can actually see it.

[@adiabd1]

those damn coal power plants China's already developed so much, but the waste treatment for its industries still aren't regulated and enforced enough

[@sev5733]

this is a city in desert what do you want more

[@michaelreilly3513]

@@sev5733 I don't want it at all.

[@larrybacklund700]

Their people go hungry & they keep building,?

[@brownie3924]

se v Las Vegas is built in a dessert and is nowhere near populated or ”dusty” as that city.

[@Romogi]

so many empty houses, but people can't afford to move out of their parents house. Interesting.

[@alexhu7939]

interesting fake news made 10 years ago!

[@andromedamessier3176]

@@alexhu7939 it ain’t fake 10 years ago. It was up to date with the time 10 years ago. You just refuse to see the dark side cause you want to save face.

[@stevenfetzer4911]

These are not for living but for job and gdp creation.

[@joe2mercs]

Here we are 11 years later and what looked bad back then has got even worse. The problem has got so big that the government is at a loss as to how to deal with it. When individual real estate companies carry debts of $250 billion and have to borrow more just to service the existing debt then the end cannot be far off now.

[@jebsmith323]

THank you for showing this. I was in China in 1996 when citizens were taking old buildings down brick by brick to be reused but also the law said that every person over age 21 had to be employed. I was there again in 2006 and saw many tall skyscrapers. When I marveled, my translator told me that these buildings were empty, even unfinished on the inside, because no one could afford to live there.

[@michellehughes576]

That is so stupid to build and people can’t afford to live there

[@janev7214]

Chinese in u.s. claim no homeless in China!!! Wtf?..

[@HOHLfmly]

Wow, that was 16 years ago! I would think they would be free by now!

[@jebsmith323]

@@HOHLfmly You have to remember that this is about China. A very communist country even though they put on a good face. Still Communist.

[@pianoman551000]

I remember touring/shopping at one of the newer malls in Beijing in 2010. Beautiful mall with all the shops that one would find along FIfth Avenue in NYC. However, very few of these shops actually had any customers other than the occasional tourist who couldn't afford the merch being sold. This mall had shops like Hermes, Gucci, Givenchy, etc. The local Chinese would never be able to afford the products sold; neither would most of the Western tourists.

[@Fraudemusic]

If the Chinese government is happy to build and maintain empty multi million dollar skyscrapers they should be more than happy to fill it with the poor/homeless

[@Peter-pv8xx]

There aren't any homeless in communist countries because the state provides everything, the mentally ill which make up the majority of the homeless population would be institutionised.

[@Paulo-zr5zo]

@@Peter-pv8xx No homeless in china? try going in every city and come back to reply.

[@pawneko5248]

@@Paulo-zr5zo lol

[@konradblades93]

@@Peter-pv8xx Why can't someone with a 'Mental Health Issue' not be provided with accommadation? Some people in all societies for a range of reasons require more support than the majority. Making provision is humane, and civilised.

[@tomaiken903]

@@Peter-pv8xx Haha haha you are hilarious.

[@mikebrown5754]

Where has all the residents in Chinese cities gone. This is concerning 😟.

[@ianashton1593]

Back to their hometown….. lots of foreign businesses have pulled out of China due to rising costs and moved to other countries. Was there from 97 until 2012 working in the sporting goods industry and was transferred to Vietnam. Some of the factories I worked in were huge, most have now been demolished.

[@perpetualprosperity2963]

May be cannibalism has started again. The Chinese elites have a exotic meat craze, may be that is the reason 🤭

[@Havaseet2]

What ever became of these people and apartments? I'd like to see a follow up video.

[@chriswhynder8311]

i know right?

[@theoreticalphysics3644]

I'd kinda really like an update on all of this being 9 years later.

[@jasonjames4667]

They were one of the only few countries to have a positive GDP this FY. Whatever bubble they're blowing up doesn't seem to be bursting after 9 years

[@harshjain3122]

@@jasonjames4667 economists need to change their method of scrutiny I feel. They have been predicting China's collapse for decades now. And what happened?

[@offwallstreet6386]

​@@jasonjames4667 that's a a fact. There mirroring what the USA did in 1990's with the housing and community development act except there not repackaging the mortgages into CDO's and MBS's. and look into the amount China has invested in high speed rail over the past 20 years... crazy really.

[@aoeu256]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJq1lWRohNVpe5o

[@snorlaxgaming3185]

In seems that more people have moved in there's a few pics online

[@JHA854]

No neighbours? I'll take 2!

[@fxgamer4870]

J buy three get one free

[@lQuadXl]

*I'D BUY THAT FOR A DOLLAR!*

[@memoryofthestars7449]

ikr!

[@artmanrom]

:) Doubtfully someone will turn the heat on just for one or two apartment in the entire building. You'll have to stink the whole year, without no hot water for washing, let alone freezing during winters. Also buying food will be a real adventure in founding the very few shop provided with food, cos too many of the very few inhabitants have gone to the same place, it can be exhausted in no time. And lastly but not the last, founding a lucrative job would be harder than finding water in the middle of a desert. Excepting if you are a novelist or a visual artist who has an online clientele, but those are just exceptions out of the rule. XD

[@donaldhicks3359]

and catholics

[@SylvainOfGandahar]

This is just the tip of the iceberg. This covers just the ghost cities, but according to recent reports there are enough houses and flats to house 3 bio. people in China. It is an enormous real estate bubble of epic proportions with even popular cities having 30% vacancies that will never be filled.

[@roberts2697]

The other city Donguan - kzbin.info/www/bejne/rni5ZGmwpa9liJIsi=BrL6u7sTHks8bdOx

[@csm5729]

Is there a follow-up video on how it is like there in 2021? Are there success stories for cities recently made from scratch? Just interested if the build it and they will come method has worked out.(hope so)

[@Cl0ckcl0ck]

Just google: China, Henan, Zhengzhou, Jinshui District. Maps shows you most parking lots full of cars.

[@llothar68]

Some are good like Zhengzhou, some are still terrible and some even got flattened. But the pyramid scheme went faster and higher the last 10 years.

[@ZZZZXXXXXZZZZ]

This was a gross demonstration of wasting money. Money they could use for somethin much more important. I'm speechless.

[@ZZZZXXXXXZZZZ]

belly tripper belly tripper ugh in the US too? Man, if I lived near there; every pothole, cracked sidewalk, homeless person, litter pile, would nauseate me knowing that they are building crap when they can't even fix up and keep what they already built nice!

[@gaijanglungmaringmei8813]

Do your research....the city is now overcrowded.

[@ulfhenarpolymathmilitant6258]

64,000,000 empty apartments? !!!!!!! that is a far cry from the claimed world over-population!!!!!!!!!!

[@ulfhenarpolymathmilitant6258]

jin lei yeah BULL SHIT

[@TimSlee1]

Yeah, I agree. Why don't they provide better funding for farmers instead? Most Chinese farmers can't afford to have more than one child and most of the time they choose to have a male child. This is creating a huge imbalance of 118 men for every 100 women. Sufficient funding and *research* can solve this problem.

[@edelman8829]

This is like when you can't make your minecraft world a server

[@demerain1]

Lol, right!!! Tell me about it!!

[@balasubrmanian5522]

This seems to be a Hollywood Director's delight. These empty cities could serve as sets for an apocalystic movie.

[@the_notorious_bas]

10 years later now and China is in the midst of a real estate crisis, featuring Evergrande, Fantasia and other over-leveraged players.

[@LordbomberD]

Boy are they dumb. If you had that many empty 10 years ago what's the total today. Mind you the build quality is rubbish so how many are standing today.

[@llothar68]

@@LordbomberD All of them?

[@katsu890]

I feel bad for the guy running a toy shop in this empty ghost town mall.

[@katsu890]

***** Chinese Ghost City.

[@goodgirlkay]

Kingofthen00bs games Based on what legit info?

[@chengxu2990]

the rent was cheap then and now the mall is packed with ppl.

[@christinefreeman7531]

How does anyone feel bad about ( GREED ) finally taking affect on ppls lives.

[@frankfarago2825]

The same reporter went wback the next year, the toy shop was gone.

[@JohnS-wq4pu]

I am Chinese. These empty apartments and shopping centers are real in some places of China. I went to a shopping center in central south china 4 months ago and very beautiful---but not many customers. However, in shanghai, the housing crunch is crazy. Too many people and not enough dwellings. The prices are out of control. Exactly what is happening in NYC and SF. However, if you build multiple apartments in Des Moines or Lubbock, there not enough people to fill those apartments and the housing will be mostly empty.

[@rkegw3807]

Makes sense

[@edwinahutchinson8900]

This is a weird explanation

[@TruckTaxiMoveIt]

That's a good analogy but in the United States people are not going to buy empty condominiums in Des Moines or whatever that other place was that you mentioned. The main reason people are buying condominiums in empty cities in China is because the country limits Chinese Nationals from foreign investment so they have to invest within the country so what they try to do is invest their money in those different directions, if in the United States we had the same situation in which we could not invest our money outside of the United States then we would do the same thing in terms of buying up property in areas where we think development will grow in the near future resulting in long-term profits .

[@Fitheach81]

John S - As a Chinese person who is or was there, besides the obvious issue of the frantic construction rush & high costs and stringent payment terms (50% down and 3yrs to cover the rest) my immediate thought & concern was the quality. Are corners being cut to reduce costs in favour of faster building? Is structural integrity compromised in the process? That would be a horrific disaster in the regions at risk for earthquakes if densely populated. I believe North Korea has gone that route with rapid growth but poorly done.

[@4FYTfa8EjYHNXjChe8xs7xmC5pNEtz]

China: come for the ghost cities, stay for the smog.

[@falling_banana]

is there ever gonna b an update interview on this topic?

[@walterkersting6238]

It looks like one of those towers under construction was beginning to erode even as it was being constructed.

[@mikeleahy1904]

That mall is too crowded, no thanks

[@2ongson367]

Dubai will be next, cost of living is rising. Salaries is not increasing. Expats are leaving. Tourism during summer is poor because of the heat.

[@backfromvancouv]

2ong son say what??? Negotiate a better rent on your next lease.... too many empty Apt’s and rates are going waaay down

[@krotsin]

Wait until they run out of oil. It's going to be interesting. Even though they say they don't depend on oil any longer, which I hardly find to believe it.

[@amersiraz7455]

krotsin cause you are stupid Dubai has 1% oil left

[@amersiraz7455]

@Racheal Niwagaba well I have reasons to call him stupid he is ignoring facts

[@carlmaggio8188]

@@krotsin 'woozy. ''' '''

[@mangalchandsingalkar1210]

In my town before 1990, there were only 2 ginning factory. Now there are 12. Out of these, 5 are now closed. 3 were established, just in 2001

[@jkbc]

Fast Forward to 2021, I wondered what this looks like now. it took 10 years for the bubble to Pop

[@spencer5870]

Well i know what city is going to be the next safe haven for a zombie apocolypse

[@anthonyh2540]

Dogmeat zombies will start in china

[@anthonyh2540]

And stay in china

[@anthonyh2540]

Starting with the billion aires and leadeds i feel like, the reckoning starts in china

[@bar-sabas4801]

Definitely right

[@madmaxrerisen]

Pretty much was zombies and falling over sick. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iWnHkpKHjsespaM

[@SuperBlueboy61]

They have a plan,they're just not telling us!

[@CyberStalkingCr33per]

I agree!

[@qiq6137]

SuperBlueboy61 haha~they should go the the "ghost city" right now, which is the second (maybe first) thrivest district of the total 16 districts in that city.

[@davidevans9906]

Maybe they are just planning for the future population.

[@bio2020]

Their plan is to continue building until every single Chinese citizen can be given an apartment at very low cost to the citizen. They cannot hand the apartments out yet, because then it would cause civil unrest as some families get picked first before others.

[@alex8353339]

No, I think they're just stupid...

[@TheRealJellyBomb]

It's crazy that this video is twelve years old, and this bubble, "bigger than any we've ever seen," is still inflating. 😮

[@alexhu7939]

would like to see an update of the same place Zheng Zhou today! I think you will be amazed

[@tonycap49]

They expect the balance of a $300,000 apartment in 3 years? In America they give 30 year mortgages so that people can afford to buy a house.

[@CFlipify]

Anthony Cappucci 50% up front the remaining balance over 3 years who tf has 150k cash

[@TruckTaxiMoveIt]

These properties are being built primarily to be sold to investors not necessarily to people who want to live there; Also the 'balance' could be financed but given the fact that these properties are not likely to be rented anytime soon it's not likely that these people would need or want to pay interest on a loan for a non income-producing property.

[@TruckTaxiMoveIt]

@@CFlipify a whole bunch of people have enormous amounts of wealth in China so they can buy up whole blocks of apartments, keep in mind that China limits their citizens from making foreign investments and because of that wealthy Chinese Nationals have to find ways to invest in money within China and buying real estate is one of them.

[@user-eq1ki1ne8t]

Truck Taxi it is an investment play but it eventually payed out and this area is now very crowded

[@musicman0423]

Huqiao Shan I’m just curious how you know that they are crowded now? I see and hear everywhere else that they are basically the same, and they have built newer ghost cities. Money is destroying the world, and it’s man made!

[@markwhitfield6781]

Deserted and yet still polluted, hats off.

[@LS-tk7hp]

that might just be fog

[@stormyalice]

Mark Whitfield China is really cleaning up, though. Quicker than the US is, actually.

[@supertotoro]

- JAVA - difference is USA is spotless compared to China. I live in South Korea and the horrible chinese air blows over to here. Its not as bad as china but still really bad.

[@mjag2834]

And the peasants are still revolting!

[@charleshoang6481]

Shithole country !

[@alladean9080]

First time I see this but posted 10yrs ago. It would be nice to see how an update 2021.

[@peredavi]

I used to travel to Shanghai on business for over 10 years. I saw these empty high-rise is going up. Another thing people do not realize as China’s population ages and shrinks over the coming 50 to 100 years there will not be enough people to maintain the high-speed rails bridges and roads they have built.

[@carlagrado7201]

The world has reached a ridiculous point

[@dr2stroke611]

ecosystems are going to start failing soon.

[@chengxu2990]

Yes you are right. no more crimiral gov and biased media. 2021 this city is packed and foreign brand hotels like Hilton, Marriott, Sheraton, Aloft, Holiday inn, Le Meridien open business in zheng zhou new district. They won't be there if no demand. it's one of the most successful newly built city in China kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqGkio2Lrq-arJI google or youtube zheng zhou new district /郑州新区

[@fadlicuy2922]

instead of making expensive high class properties, why don't they make cheaper apartment?? don't they study the market first before start building the properties??

[@khchong8541]

Fadli Ramadhan cheap apartments don't boast GDP growth.

[@h.q.1265]

Something regarding displacement costs.

[@joliemwah8694]

in the short term it doesn't but in the long term it does boost GDP growth

[@bugmaster05]

@@joliemwah8694 no cheaper doesnt boost growth for both short term and long term. That is why the chinese government make it expensive cos at least in the short term, it will boost GDP and fuck the remaining terms. If cheaper boost GDP for long term it will be a prospective plan for them since they have the manpower and land area to build but they all work the math and come to the conclusion that it will not so they opted for another.

[@nakeitafrater3712]

They build cheap apartments and sell them for expensive prices

[@jacintochua6885]

Most of the housing units have been sold and occupied. The were built ahead. This program was filmed during the construction phase. That's why units weren't occupied yet.

[@mair_ly]

This 11 Years ago, pls update us on how it looks now.

[@myperspective5091]

I think I just found a place for all those Syrian refugees. Yay. Good news.

[@heoyoungji2018]

:p

[@myperspective5091]

Lol

[@Zebred2001]

+Robert Swift You read my thoughts!

[@myperspective5091]

Vince Klortho We should call Germany, Sweden, France, Spain, Hungary, and Finland and tell them that their problems are solved. We will probably get medals of honor.

[@Zebred2001]

Only from patriots, certainly not from the unholy alliance of career politicians, civil servants and lawyers (a.k.a. - enemies of the West)!

[@ab-jn7ky]

My parents purchased two apartments on a bit of the farside of our hometown in China. The concept behind the apartments were great, luxurious high end apartments/townhouses right across an amusement park. The area was promised to be urbanized, but it just did not live up to what they promised. The entire apartment building's renovation was sloppy, half painted (not to mention moldy) walls, not to mention leaking ceilings. Overall it just seemed like they left the apartment half finished. The area ended up being empty, housing rates were less than 20%. It was built by a well known corporation in China too. It really isn't that the government's okay with these homes being empty, truth be told, many of these homes are already owned.These homes probably don't live up to safety requirements, and have issues that needs to be fixed. The developers don't care about these issues or care about what their finished product is, leaving families feeling scammed.

[@janinewetzler5037]

Hello, just looking for clarification: Is this a result of the Chinese culture to own property as a status symbol ? As you said most are already owned.

[@peteparadis1619]

China building shoddy unusable products is a worldwide problem, quality control in China is nonexistent

[@janinewetzler5037]

Most are unfinished buildings. How much of this ghost part is from not finishing the interior infrastructure or decorating in the developing part got to do with the 'bad Fung Chui' belief of another's energy going into the living space, (even just the workmen's )?

[@PC-tz6rw]

Why wouldn't the government hold the developers responsible for handing a subpar product despite being paid full?

[@vasileiosntinas7833]

τα μεταξωτά βρακιά θέλουν και μεταξοτους κόλους Allow me to say.

[@Tara_P_Rose]

I looked up this place on Wikipedia & found that now it’s bustling & crowded & has a huge population! It was empty for quite a while but seeing the pics of it now compared to then is like night & day!

[@louskunt9798]

No it isn’t. My parents live about 10 minutes from where this was filmed and it’s actually become much, MUCH worse to the point that they’re tearing the buildings down because they’re falling apart. Nobody believes fake Chinese bots.

[@sharonwilliams4896]

Saudia Arabia did that in the 80s. I worked in Ryhaid and was taken on a tour of the empty town for the Bedouins. They didn't want to live there. They liked their desert life.

[@RatherA]

Came after hongkong's small apartment video

[@ayddhjo5582]

RatherA .. same with me. Hongkong’s cage house and Japan’s shoebox brought me here

[@agilwijaya7782]

same lol i came here after vox documentaries about cage housing

[@papilloneffect4015]

Same, I'm confused though. The guy in the Vox video said the rent problem was that their market was "too free". However in this video, they say that the government restrictions make people have to pay half the full cost up front. Thats a contradiction. However this video is from 2011, so maybe China's policies have changed?

[@siytz.w]

The vox video?

[@tomaiken903]

You see how they are living in actual cages. Crazy isn't it. 😱

[@hyssop8974]

Why the fuck aren't we sending refugees here?

[@JamesBond-uz2dm]

+Arkan Because Chinese are racists. They will never give up their monoculture. I bought gasoline today for $2.03/gal. This video explains one reason why. The 12% GDP growth in China has fallen.

[@kmcl11]

I just found out this piece is old. This city is now inhabited with 2 million people. See, the chinese can get things done.

[@hyssop8974]

Nikki Jones I'm super impressed. China fucking knows what they're doing

[@yimingyang8244]

+Nikki Jones Indeed, There are ofc some ghost cities in China, but the western media call every empty area as ghost city, which is simply not the case. Everyone knows that China is growing fast, entire new towns, districts are built every few years even months. Then the western media rushes to these new areas and claim it to be a ghost city...I mean, come, you cant populate an entire district in one day. As you said, this video is published 2011, and now in 2015 it has millions of residences. The western media will never go back to the same city and tell the western people that it is now NOT a ghost city. Instead, they run to another newly built area and claim they have found another ghost city..I have to say, this is very disappointing. It only makes Chinese to think how silly and self-deception the westerns are.

[@rarecharisma]

+Yiming Yang are you a paid Chinese government KZbin commentator?

[@bryanfowler7202]

would you like to live on the 20th floor in a building that has power blackouts 6 days a week, could you face 20 stories of stairs every day, (no power no lifts )

[@torontoson6954]

11yrs later and that bubble is ever so big and the closest as it’s ever been to bursting

[@ItsDailyfilmingbasis]

I feel bad for the toy shop owner

[@thehypercasual385]

He doesn't even realize that he's an NPC

[@jamesmueller1921]

DailyFilmingBasis ,,, what about all the toy makers ,,,

[@vitastreamh1160]

Don't be. He is probably a millionaire by now.

[@rogeronslow1498]

I hope he doesn't work on a commission basis.

[@matthewlandon85]

300 thousand and ur heater and pipes are fully exposed infront of ur 1 window.

[@user-yg2up4lg3r]

Probably in their currency.

[@Pushing_Pixels]

If it's in southern china it probably doesn't get too cold.

[@JointedSpagel]

@@user-yg2up4lg3r that's only 3000 ish usd.

[@mg4468]

This was 11 years ago. I wonder what happened to the monster mall?

[@anntrope491]

AHHH.... WHAT !!?? THIS IS INSANE !! WHAT A WASTE OF RESOURCES, FARM LAND, & WILDLIFE HABITAT !! WE ARE ALL DOOMED BY THIS DESTRUCTION/CONSTRUCTION ...CONSUMERISM/ CAPITALISM IS DEVOURING THE NATURAL WORLD !!

[@bradleymcewen4654]

Makes you wonder why you aren't allowed to film, even the toy shop guy seems like he is choosing his words carefully, how is the shop still open?? Something seriously isn't right, so over crowded in most places!!! What the actual hell..

[@musicman0423]

Bradley Mcewen communism

[@liviawang3822]

communism makes sure you don't say anything that can give China a bad face especially in media

[@michaelreilly3513]

@@liviawang3822 This is not communism. This is corruption.

[@jgedutis]

Maybe they could relocate some of the poor farmers stuck farming the land around one of the many toxic waste dumps?

Why would they take American clowns into their country.

[@grafito4438]

China's GDP / profit, that's all that they were built for. They don't want risk of defaulted payments on high priced apartments that were aimed at giving them profit.

[@trollin456]

Only "stuck" by choice. Hard work has always paid off for everyone whom educate themselves and want more. Lets not be fucking dumb here

[@ShadowShaw04]

Are you dumb sir? Did you go to college? Even in America, I couldn't even afford college alot of people can't why do you think it would be different anywhere else? You don't think they know hard work their lives make your presumably look like barbie. So before you judge remember that not everyone was born into money.

[@jackyblue67same10]

Rite when they got clowns like you there sean onibud even ur name is funny.

[@rg1whiteywins598]

Since it's easier to shop online, malls in general are not doing so well. It's a shame because the day of the shopping center was a good experience for most of us. Shopping and exercise even in the coldest winter days.

[@MrJankert64]

12 years on and nothing has changed.

[@wulfeman9948]

if they had a walmart there people would move there

[@qdasoo7]

+wulfe man starbucks

[@flyerboy2594]

+wulfe man what are you talking about, most things in Walmart are from china so i dont think one Walmart in a specific location is enough to attract people when what every you need at a low cost can be found literally anyway in china

[@noonespecial1285]

+flyer boy do you remember when WalMart was first established? It was "US AMERICAN MADE" they didn't sell anything that wasn't made in the USA. What happened. Something wrong going on over there and they are sending all their pollution over here. I am afraid the rumors of war, being crushed by China could have some merit. I have lots to say but think it be time to shutthefukup eh?

[@junq4195]

most things in walmart are from China not meaning things in China are as cheap as things in walmart

[@Baymax-xs6jw]

wulfe man ,or Costco!😊

[@anzeg-]

That's insane. You have brand new buildings completely empty while 5 people live in 1 room slum. Why not just lower the prices? A cheap sell + taxes is better than no sell. Why would they keep prices so high?

[@Kanqiu7743]

China’s got no taxes

[@UnrecycleRubdish]

#1, those 5 person in one room apartments are in Hong Kong, not mainland China. In China the amount of space is not an issue. #2, these kinds of housing developments are not meant to falsify growth; they play a role in the governments mismanaged attempt at mass urbanization of the country.

[@eckankar7756]

So what's happened to these apartments now? This was posted 12 years ago

[@IdleByte]

Late 2021 Calling, you nailed it.

[@Chartoise]

The homes are not for living, they are chips for rich people to play games with.

[@enonymuz8627]

true

[@enonymuz8627]

real estate business for the rich

[@Pushing_Pixels]

The bubble is starting to burst. Developers are cutting prices trying to offload the apartments, and the people who bought at full price are freaking out. A lot of well off Chinese gonna lose a lot of money.

[@user-rh2pv2kc5g]

No in the city zhengzhou the once ghost city is now filling with 10 millions people...and the house price rises to 3times high!!!!!!!!!!!,

[@TinyFlav]

Chinese investors are buying property in Vancouver leaving them empty driving up prices.

[@Jen1112111]

Meanwhile in Hong Kong....

[@rnp1785]

They call that economic growth it’s looks more like an economic collapse.

[@Patrick_B687-3]

So Bizzare! Makes you wonder what it’s it’s like 11 years later since this was posted.

[@Littlelamb2023]

what a messed up world we live in. honestly i feel for these people so much, its hard enough being poor but to look up at hundreds of empty apartments while living in squalor is just cruelty!!

[@glynnisthomas9165]

Not hundreds. Millions.

[@Littlelamb2023]

@@glynnisthomas9165 that’s even more sad 😢

[@thegadsdensnake408]

"we need the government to intervene" no that's why it sucks in the first place...

[@jahmalonbethel1307]

The Gadsden Snake America owes China a lot of money.

[@BOLPutube]

Jahmalon Bethel What the fuck does that have to do with this.

[@jahmalonbethel1307]

BarackObamaLikesPoop Im just explaining the reason why Chinese people aren't making a lot of money and they can't afford to buy stuuf out of the mall and that's why it's empty.

[@AndrewManook]

I would be more surprised if anyone believes your bullshit.

[@AndrewManook]

Obviously towards you, who else just wrote a paragraph of bullshit?

[@joshuavictory8859]

The video was 11 years ago , what is it now?

[@gemerique]

IT's been 11 years since this document was shown, and you asked them if they think it will be the same in 6 years.. how is it now there? Still the same?

[@tooyoungtobeold8756]

The build quality is so bad, that they will probably fall down down in a few years anyway.

[@HelenaPedroso]

"Too young to be old": When? China is taking Nepal, now.

[@prathamthapa8155]

@@HelenaPedroso who told you that

[@RenanzinhoSopadeAbobora]

You really dont know china buildings lol

[@defencebangladesh4068]

lmao not true

[@mgh62000]

Except that your comment was in 2020, making this documentary 9 years old at the time, and the buildings are still standing.

[@yifanzheng1999]

As a Chinese I went there this summer and it is really creepy that there are a few people on the street, shops are empty, nothing there especially at night..........

[@sheltonnthaks7689]

08:11 the apartment neighborhood behind the man was called 新天名城 in Huizhou，a city near Shenzhen, thus investors from Shenzhen would flows to make investments, so real estate developers people in China see the opportunities and developed too many even locals would say Huizhou is a city that only has real estates. There might be a bubble. However, I just checked Baidu Map, the occupancy rate was at least 50 percent in 2014 according to the pictures, some are still unfurnished but they might be purchased already since some might be investment purchase. The actual purchased apartment might be more. I don’t know the occupancy rate nowadays, but Huizhou has grown a lot, its GDP was 540 billion RMB in 2022 almost tripled since 2011 which is 200 billion RMB, thanks to electronics industry development there which was in part due to industrial transfer from Shenzhen. All I want to say is As long as economy is still thriving in China, the real estate bubble won’t burst very too soon. And another thing I want to complain is that the video makes the city look very unpleasant but the weather there was like LA and air quality is excellent all year round.

[@oceanebrieze2050]

Can it get any creepier? What and who is behind such bizarre “planning “? Good Lord!!!

[@donn4289]

Most of these housing projects are too costly for average income families. Also too far from from their livelihood. I travel to China often and always amazed how fast they build such infrastructures in a short period of time. People in remote areas still prefer living in their ancestral homes. Most have farms and small businesses just nearby.

[@yossiallen3316]

They build fast but their quality is in the toilet 😂😂

[@ijfreshi]

That guy was really getting a massage during his interview LMAOO

[@qmpossible1145]

Hahahaha was checking for comments to see if anyone noticed that. I was lol. 😂

[@Mrsuniquelovely]

Hey, it's a very stressful topic for him to speak about!

[@adiabd1]

what a lovely wife he has

[@sbalogh53]

I hope they don't get "disappeared" for speaking out.

[@robertlee4172]

What a heart breaking tragedy for that shop keeper. His investment is lost to bad planning by the government. He's facing a bleak future. Then again, this was shot 12 years ago. The shop must be closed by now.

[@michaelt.wardlespider2496]

Fascinating. Excessive wastefulness to maintain an illusion, while the masses suffer. The video is 11 years old as I watch it in 2022. I wonder if things are still the same?

[@xianyu3211]

5 years past after this video uploaded, price of real estate doubled in china

[@MrLiangyuwei]

in first line cities only, not all across China

[@xianyu3211]

Ray Liang all across china

[@xianyu3211]

ciaran devaney fahkyou ciaran davaney

[@ms.m3n]

but....just cause the price is going up doesn't mean it actually is of any value. lol they're so obsessed w "saving face" before thinking of long term consequences, always taking "easier" money short cuts. everyone knows they're shady w accounting!

[@Election-sv6ok]

There is no big credit bubble in China because you have to pay fifty percent upfront to buy an apartment, house, or condo. That is how they protected themselves. The bubble that can possibly happen is a revolutionary bubble...people starting a revolution to get better housing. But, they have a military government to keep that under control.

[@allanmontejo1377]

"Owning a home shouldn't be a dream it should be a basic human right" that made ne cry :(

[@EQOAnostalgia]

A basic human right? To OWN a home? Man... they are prepping you kids for communism HARDCORE. SMH.

[@jz4780]

@@EQOAnostalgia of course u didn't been in china u don't know its more capitalistic than u think i was there for more than 1 year and its been ok its not communism they just have one leader thats it what is communist that everyone can have a buissnes and build up capital and spend it on whatever they want i don't know if u know what communism is about china is like GB not like old iron curtain when ppl didn't have anything u can stand in lines for a whole day to get a roll of toilet paper if u got one that was communism not china and im not an old dude im only 21 and travelled most of the world and china is not a communist country just look at cuba thats a communist country

[@Zero-ev3xk]

Maybe clean shelter... but a right to OWN a home?

[@ppazpppaz8618]

@@EQOAnostalgia So some people should be homeless. If communism is what it takes to get rid of homeless and unemployment. Bring it on.

[@JamesSpazer]

Imagine having a right in china

[@korben7710]

But you have city's where shops are packed into each other and little tiny apartments.

[@Gato303co]

Thousands and thousands of empty square meters, no people, just emptyness.... If those are not Liminal Spaces, I can't think what else they can be, really eerie creepy feeling seeing them

[@m.a6416]

They should just hand out these apartments as free government housing

[@apegrasshoplizard]

DonCervantes I disagree. They can afford to make it public housing and in the process show the people the true spirit of communism. Ofcourse most would be party members and govt. workers but they should also reward others for merit earned and contrbutions in all fields. They could calm the tempers by giving the elderly of bigger cities a place to retire and young families to settle.

[@jamesmueller1921]

R yt ,,, not all countries give out welfare as easily as America and some of the other civilized countries ,,, why do you think they enforce their borders ,,, notice nobody tries to sneak into china ,,, after 4 years living in China ,, my son and his Chinese wife moved back here ,,, even though he is an army vet ,,, they had to jump through hoops ,, just to be here LEGAL ,,,

[@derekdakis7675]

How easy would it be to squat in one of those.

[@khwezay]

If the police caught on to the taping in the mall then it probably won't be that easy to squat

[@TruckTaxiMoveIt]

I'm guessing extremely easy and the penalties would be extremely high remember these are all luxury units so if you don't look the part you're going to be questioned

[@veronicaave4787]

Bryce Weber I doubt Chinese jail is better than being homeless they don’t have any humane laws protecting prisoners like America does

[@janaekelis]

The problem with neglected living quarters are that they can collapse. Not very safe, and not a risk anyone should take

[@ArinJager1]

@Victor R. religion is NOT freedom, it's slavery of mind

[@GrantsPassTVRepair]

Fast forward to 2022 and many of the property owners who invested in these skyscrapers are now refusing to pay their mortgages since these property values have declined so much.

[@Ay-B]

A mall with 1500 shops? Sounds like a nightmare.

[@funny-video-YouTube-channel]

People use such flats for washing their money. Such flats also exist in other places. Banks like such expensive flats for *washing money for their customers.* The flats change hands on paper, but nobody lives there.

[@CARTOONIVERSE1]

epSos.de- Here in Vancouver *our* Real Estate Market is ALSO used by crime syndicates to launder money. The government *knows* & refuses to do anything.

[@rangermaverick85]

shitty apartments in a shitty place with nothing around you...I would a buy a flat there for 50£ if they want

[@jamespatrick6939]

Theres investment options in China, maybe not as cheap as that but my economics professor bought two flats in the first city for $15000 for both

[@MamaMOB]

Bad investment options. Now your professor has two apartments he probably doesn't live in so there won't be any businesses in that area because no one lives there to buy their products and he will soon have to sell at a large loss because who wants to live in an abandoned city?

[@thaynamite]

+Mama MOB You are so wrong and your Prof will be a rich man in some years .. This report is bullshit and a simple lie ..Maybe it was like this in 2011 but times have changed ...

[@jamespatrick6939]

status update, he sold one of the apartments for $24000 last week, apparently as long as people keep building nearby, prices keep climbing

[@rangermaverick85]

going to Dubai next week, you can keep your china

[@kennysartwork5827]

any follow up it's been 11 years now the guy in the mall still there?

[@nodeal7337]

11 years ago. Now its just the tip of the iceberg, and that iceberg is about to turn over. Empty shells, built so poorly, they are already crumbling. A piggy bank made of paper, in the rain.

[@iheartcryptoverse2857]

If you allow poor people who work to move in by paying only 20K with a twenty year loan then those ghost cities will become very busy and prosperous. The buildings are poorly made so they are not worth more than 20K.

[@MiaogisTeas]

Great idea! However, not all of them are rubbish. There are some developers that are really making great properties. Also remember houses in Asia are generally constructed to last only 30 years or so, because it's easier to rebuild anew than to constantly repair.

[@CARTOONIVERSE1]

IHeartCryptoverse- If I were a China Millonaire I'd buy 1 & rent to working families at insanely affordable prices(strict background checks first)and then replicate the process. In a few years I'd have a whole block of thousands of families *lifted into the middle class.*

[@mebasil7721]

DISGRACEFUL! more disturbing even than the conditions that thousands of there people are "living" in.

[@slyteen2197]

This video is very old. What happened to the properties in this video?

[@ivangutowski]

Came out in 2011...It lasted a longggg time... but 2022 and now it's all crashing