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Sunday, June 19, 2011

China's ghost towns: New satellite pictures show massive skyscraper cities which are STILL completely empty

As sprawling housing developments and skyscrapers in one of the world's most populous countries, these tower blocks and recently-built neighbourhoods should be busy and swarming with people.

But on closer inspection these stunning pictures show elaborate public buildings and open spaces which are left completely empty.

The most recent pictures of unused housing emerged as China announced plans to build 20 cities a year for the next 20 years.

Soulless cities: Despite being unable to find buyers for the hundreds of millions of new homes, China plans to build 20 cities a year for the next 20 years

Soulless cities: Despite being unable to find buyers for the hundreds of millions of new homes, China plans to build 20 cities a year for the next 20 years

Property to let: Rows of neat, newly-built houses like these in Jiangsu are becoming more common in China

Property to let: Rows of neat, newly-built houses like these in Jiangsu are becoming more common in China

Desolate: These skyscraper in Chenggong, where there are already 100,00 new homes, should be bustling with life but are instead empty

Desolate: These skyscraper in Chenggong, where there are already 100,00 new homes, should be bustling with life but are instead empty

And despite pictures last year showing some of the reported 64 million empty homes, Chinese authorities have since erected masses more buildings.

Gillem Tulloch, an aanlyst for Forensic Asia Limited, described one of the areas in Chenggong, as a 'forest of skyscrapers'.

When asked what has happened in the past six months since the ghost cities were built, he said: 'China built more of them.

'China consumes more steel, iron ore and cement per capita than any industrial nation in history.

Unused: Another vacant development in Jiangsu contains well over 100 new properties

Unused: Another vacant development in Jiangsu contains well over 100 new properties

Plenty of room spare: Experts have said some of the developments are like a 'forest of skyscrapers'

Plenty of room spare: Experts have said some of the developments are like a 'forest of skyscrapers'

'It's all going to railways that will never make money, roads that no one drives on and cities that no one lives in.

'It's like walking into a forest of skyscrapers, but they're all empty.'

Chinese government think tank have warned that the country's real estate bubble is getting worse, with property prices in major cities overvalued by as much as 70 per cent.

Tulloch said that apartments in Chenggong, a fishing village near Hong Kong, were selling for up to $80,000.

Many of the developments like this one in Ordos, China, have swathes of newly-created public space completely unused by anyone

Many of the developments like this one in Ordos, China, have swathes of newly-created public space completely unused by anyone

Zhengzhou

Zhengzhou New District residential towers: Soaring property prices in China and high levels of investment has fuelled the construction of up several new cities. Experts fear a subsequent property crash could damage the global economy

Zhengzhou

Property bubble: Zhengzhou New District features vast public buildings that have never been used

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