In China, you can find cities with all sorts of facilities, but they lack inhabitants. These cities boast impressive infrastructures, towering skyscrapers, and more, yet there are places where people have never set foot or chosen not to live.
One such city in China is Ordos. In the year 2000, China saw a substantial influx of money from coal resources. During this period, plans were made to expand Ordos to accommodate one million people.
Even though the city remains largely unpopulated, the development company still hopes to sell the houses in the future. These companies have held onto this hope for quite some time. Moreover, they are so financially well-off that they are reluctant to lower house prices.
High taxes once made it challenging for people to reside in this city. After tax reductions, only three hundred thousand people call Ordos home. It might surprise you to learn that China has constructed a city that replicates Paris entirely.
This city is named Tianducheng. The replication is so precise that you don’t need to visit Paris to see the Eiffel Tower. In line with Paris, the cost of living in this city has risen significantly.
Consequently, there aren’t many residents in this city. Thames Town is often referred to as the “London of Shanghai.” While it was designed to resemble London, it is sparsely populated. The high cost of living deters many from staying there.
Those who own property in the town are unwilling to lower rent prices. Another city has been built here modeled after Manhattan. It’s so underpopulated that movie theaters and shopping malls have permanently closed.
Numerous skyscrapers remain vacant, and schools have closed down. The development company is now grappling with debt. Many of these cities have been constructed in the hope that large populations would eventually move in.