Saturday, February 29, 2020
Garowe oo oa hadashey jabkii Ahlu sunah ku dhacey iyo Madaafiic somalila...
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Friday, February 28, 2020
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Ahlu sunah iyo Qoorqoor oo ka hadley Dagaalkii xalay dhuusamareeb yaa bi...
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Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Gudooniyayaal dagmo oo Naftooda kala baxsanaya ciidanka Haramacad
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Tuesday, February 25, 2020
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Dublamasiyiin somali ah oo is feedhey iyo DF oo talaabo ka qaadey
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Friday, February 21, 2020
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Askar jubaland laga laayay iyo Axmed madoobe oo safar dhulka ah ku tagay...
Askar jubaland laga laayay iyo Axmed madoobe oo safar dhulka ah ku tagay...
Gaalkacayo oo ciidamo farabadan lagu soo daabuley Iyo Dani oo jabuuti ga...
Gaalkacayo oo ciidamo farabadan lagu soo daabuley Iyo Dani oo jabuuti ga...
Monday, February 17, 2020
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Gurmad kusii qulqulayay ilaa xaley Balad Xaawo iyo Iyo ciidamo ka gooste...
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Saturday, February 8, 2020
34 Unforgettable Photos Of China’s Massive, Uninhabited Ghost Cities
ati
Extravagant monuments, spacious parks, modern buildings, and
interconnected roads would all seem to indicate a bustling metropolis.
But in China, there is an increasing number of uninhabited "ghost"
cities that seem to have been abandoned after years of construction.
It is unclear how many of these Chinese ghost cities currently exist, but estimates put the number as high as 50 municipalities.
Some of these cities have yet to be completed while others are fully functioning metropolises, save for the lack of residents. The occurrence of these ghost cities across China has, unsurprisingly, attracted significant attention from international observers.
"All of them are bizarre, all of them are surreal. There's no other way to describe a city meant for thousands of people that's just completely empty," explained Samuel Stevenson-Yang, a photographer working to document this modern Chinese phenomenon, in an interview with ABC Australia.
As China continues to experience rapid economic growth, the government has rushed to urbanize massive rural areas. One of the key goals of this urbanization project is to redistribute economic opportunities that have drawn millions of rural inhabitants into coastal cities, but observers believe that the government's overambitious construction plans may have backfired.
Kangbashi district is a perfect example. It was meant to be a
bustling urban district in the city of Ordos in Inner Mongolia, built
using profits that were pouring in from the coal industry boom.
The 90,000-acre development sits right at the edge of the massive Gobi Desert. It includes many of the fixtures one would expect to find in a city once dubbed China's answer to Dubai: colossal plazas, expansive shopping malls, large commercial and residential complexes, and towering government buildings.
The hope was that these facilities would attract commuters from nearby Dongsheng and help accommodate the two million residents of Ordos.
"This is a good place, with modern buildings, grand plazas and many tourist attractions," Yang Xiaolong, a security guard working in one of Kangbashi's new office buildings, told the South China Morning Post. "Once there are more people and businesses, the city will be more lively."
But the district that was planned to house more than one million people currently houses less than 100,000, and it is still less than halfway toward the district's goal of housing 300,000 people by 2020. Despite all their efforts, Kangbashi's skyscrapers and residential buildings remain as empty as its streets.
Most countries have experienced a similar development phase at some
point where roads and buildings for new cities were being built in
locations that lacked the population to fill them.
The difference, however, is that modern urban developments in China have an unprecedented scale and speed. Just how fast is China going? The country has used more cement in its construction of new cities between 2011 to 2013 than the entirety of the United States in the 20th century.
According to statistics reported by the Beijing Morning Post, the number of empty apartment properties that are sitting in these Chinese ghost cities may be as high as 50 million.
This estimate was supplied by the State Grid Corporation of China, based on the number of apartment buildings that have been completed but have not used electricity for six straight months in 2010. That number could very well double by 2020.
Despite these staggering numbers, some believe that the Chinese ghost cities that have sprung from the overzealousness of its government are temporary. They maintain that this overload of construction will pay off for China in the long run, as the country continues to experience economic growth.
The sight of thousands of empty buildings is not the only thing that
Chinese ghost cities are leaving in their wake. The massive capital that
backed these developments was largely funded by the country's
ballooning debt, and experts think it's only a matter of time before it
will burst.
To make matters worse, there is also the issue of soaring property costs associated with purchased but unoccupied housing, which could spell disaster for younger Chinese who want to become homeowners.
But not all is lost with China's ghost towns. Even Kangbashi, a city that was practically built in the desert, can still turn things around. Carla Hajjar, an urban design researcher working on her master's thesis at Tongji University in Shanghai, frequents Kangbashi as a case study for her research.
"I was really surprised because there are people," Carla explained her first impression of the ghost city to Forbes. "And those people are really friendly and welcoming, they don't look at you like you're a stranger."
One example is the 12-million-strong city of Shenzhen that straddles China's border with Hong Kong. In 1980, it was a sleepy fishing town with a population of 30,000. Shenzhen is now China's fourth largest city and one of the wealthiest thanks to its focus on high tech industries.
Another example often cited by Chinese optimists is Pudong, a revitalized area across from Shanghai that was once a considered a "swamp."
"[Pudong] is an example of designed urbanization going really well," said Tim Murray, a managing partner at research firm J Capital. "I was working in Shanghai when that was still a dream and I used to look at it and think 'these guys are nuts just building so much and nobody is gonna use it'... I was wrong. It's just been so successful," he said.
Despite the seemingly staggering scale of China's ghost city problem,
the government has been able to revive several former ghost cities into
thriving metropolises. The key, it seems, are jobs and quality
transportation to attract young professionals, new families, and
residents who are looking to retire.
For example, the ghost city of Zhengdong rose from the ashes after the local government paid a Taiwanese phone manufacturer to open a factory in the city. The factory attracted droves of people looking for jobs and the eventually employed 200,000 workers. The promise of new jobs jumpstarted the former ghost town seemingly overnight.
Similarly, the luxury resort of Jingjin New Town, about 70 miles from Beijing, is awaiting its own infusion of workers. Currently, it has a few small shops and holiday homes but remains empty for much of the year. However, an upcoming high-speed railway line that will be passing through the city is expected to jumpstart its revitalization.
Despite this optimistic outlook, international observers note that these examples are not the rule to China's urban construction gamble, but the exception. But as long as the government continues to wager its bets on long-term growth, there is a good chance at least some of China's ghost cities will come back from the dead.
After seeing inside the ghost cities of China, check out photos from inside Burj Al Babas, Turkey's fairytale resort turned ghost town and amazing sunken cities of the ancient world.
Published April 28, 2019
Updated November 4, 2019
The country's ambitious plans for urban growth have led to more than 50 abandoned cities whose empty buildings paint a dystopian landscape.
34 Unforgettable Photos Of China’s Massive, Uninhabited Ghost Cities
It is unclear how many of these Chinese ghost cities currently exist, but estimates put the number as high as 50 municipalities.
Some of these cities have yet to be completed while others are fully functioning metropolises, save for the lack of residents. The occurrence of these ghost cities across China has, unsurprisingly, attracted significant attention from international observers.
"All of them are bizarre, all of them are surreal. There's no other way to describe a city meant for thousands of people that's just completely empty," explained Samuel Stevenson-Yang, a photographer working to document this modern Chinese phenomenon, in an interview with ABC Australia.
The Making Of A Chinese Ghost City
The street lamps, expansive parks, and sprawling highrises that dot these ghost cities undoubtedly inspire comparisons to dystopian visions of the future.As China continues to experience rapid economic growth, the government has rushed to urbanize massive rural areas. One of the key goals of this urbanization project is to redistribute economic opportunities that have drawn millions of rural inhabitants into coastal cities, but observers believe that the government's overambitious construction plans may have backfired.
Getty ImagesUnfinished developments abound in the Chinese ghost city of Kangbashi.
The 90,000-acre development sits right at the edge of the massive Gobi Desert. It includes many of the fixtures one would expect to find in a city once dubbed China's answer to Dubai: colossal plazas, expansive shopping malls, large commercial and residential complexes, and towering government buildings.
The hope was that these facilities would attract commuters from nearby Dongsheng and help accommodate the two million residents of Ordos.
"This is a good place, with modern buildings, grand plazas and many tourist attractions," Yang Xiaolong, a security guard working in one of Kangbashi's new office buildings, told the South China Morning Post. "Once there are more people and businesses, the city will be more lively."
But the district that was planned to house more than one million people currently houses less than 100,000, and it is still less than halfway toward the district's goal of housing 300,000 people by 2020. Despite all their efforts, Kangbashi's skyscrapers and residential buildings remain as empty as its streets.
Ghost Cities Are Nothing New
Guillaume Payen/LightRocket/Getty ImagesInhabitants of Tianducheng playing basketball in front of an Eiffel Tower replica.
The difference, however, is that modern urban developments in China have an unprecedented scale and speed. Just how fast is China going? The country has used more cement in its construction of new cities between 2011 to 2013 than the entirety of the United States in the 20th century.
According to statistics reported by the Beijing Morning Post, the number of empty apartment properties that are sitting in these Chinese ghost cities may be as high as 50 million.
This estimate was supplied by the State Grid Corporation of China, based on the number of apartment buildings that have been completed but have not used electricity for six straight months in 2010. That number could very well double by 2020.
Despite these staggering numbers, some believe that the Chinese ghost cities that have sprung from the overzealousness of its government are temporary. They maintain that this overload of construction will pay off for China in the long run, as the country continues to experience economic growth.
Problems Of Real Estate And A Bubbling Debt Crisis
Getty ImagesA young man walks through an abandoned apartment and villa construction project near Shanghai, China.
To make matters worse, there is also the issue of soaring property costs associated with purchased but unoccupied housing, which could spell disaster for younger Chinese who want to become homeowners.
But not all is lost with China's ghost towns. Even Kangbashi, a city that was practically built in the desert, can still turn things around. Carla Hajjar, an urban design researcher working on her master's thesis at Tongji University in Shanghai, frequents Kangbashi as a case study for her research.
"I was really surprised because there are people," Carla explained her first impression of the ghost city to Forbes. "And those people are really friendly and welcoming, they don't look at you like you're a stranger."
Shenzhen — A Success Story And Potential Model For The Future
Moreover, many of China's most prosperous cities were built with a develop-now-fill-later approach, which has, to some extent, proven to work in China's favor.One example is the 12-million-strong city of Shenzhen that straddles China's border with Hong Kong. In 1980, it was a sleepy fishing town with a population of 30,000. Shenzhen is now China's fourth largest city and one of the wealthiest thanks to its focus on high tech industries.
Another example often cited by Chinese optimists is Pudong, a revitalized area across from Shanghai that was once a considered a "swamp."
"[Pudong] is an example of designed urbanization going really well," said Tim Murray, a managing partner at research firm J Capital. "I was working in Shanghai when that was still a dream and I used to look at it and think 'these guys are nuts just building so much and nobody is gonna use it'... I was wrong. It's just been so successful," he said.
The Struggle For Revival
Gilles Sabrie/LightRocket/Getty ImagesThe Chinese ghost city of Caofeidien was built on reclaimed land, made possible through huge bank loans.
For example, the ghost city of Zhengdong rose from the ashes after the local government paid a Taiwanese phone manufacturer to open a factory in the city. The factory attracted droves of people looking for jobs and the eventually employed 200,000 workers. The promise of new jobs jumpstarted the former ghost town seemingly overnight.
Similarly, the luxury resort of Jingjin New Town, about 70 miles from Beijing, is awaiting its own infusion of workers. Currently, it has a few small shops and holiday homes but remains empty for much of the year. However, an upcoming high-speed railway line that will be passing through the city is expected to jumpstart its revitalization.
Despite this optimistic outlook, international observers note that these examples are not the rule to China's urban construction gamble, but the exception. But as long as the government continues to wager its bets on long-term growth, there is a good chance at least some of China's ghost cities will come back from the dead.
After seeing inside the ghost cities of China, check out photos from inside Burj Al Babas, Turkey's fairytale resort turned ghost town and amazing sunken cities of the ancient world.
China's ghost cities: fear of coronavirus leaves streets deserted
The Guardian
Residents say they are trapped in their own homes as the country grapples with the expanding outbreak
by Lily Kuo in Beijing
by Lily Kuo in Beijing
It is a hive of activity compared with the neighbourhood that surrounds it, known for its Hui Muslim restaurants and halal butchers. Next to the ward the Changying mosque has been shut, as has a local community centre. A few shoppers are stocking up on meat but many shops are closed.
Q&A
How can I protect myself from the coronavirus outbreak?
In Beijing, shops and businesses are shuttered with quickly written signs explaining their temporary closure “due the epidemic”. The city’s perennially congested streets have for the past two weeks been nearly empty, made even quieter by recent snowfall, as residents continue quarantining themselves at home. Some restaurants, unsure when they can reopen, have started selling off their stores of produce and meat to residents stockpiling food.
Across China, from the capital to rural villages, lives have been put on hold as the country grapples with the expanding coronavirus, whose death toll and infection rate show no signs of slowing. Residents from areas hundreds of miles from Wuhan, the city at the centre of the outbreak, as well as smaller cities nearby, describe a state of limbo, amid suffocating quarantine measures, uncertainty about work and school, dwindling supplies of fresh food and medicine, and increased anxiety about the real extent of the virus – and how much authorities are doing to contain it.
In a residential compound of Ciyunsi in Beijing, tenants learned on Thursday that one of their neighbours had contracted the virus. The person, with suspected symptoms, had been taken away days earlier by police and health workers in hazmat suits, according to residents.
While she is not anxious for herself, she says she is worried about her parents, who are in their 60s. Wei goes out once every two or so days to buy food. The longest she has stayed out since the outbreak began was two hours.
“I go and get everything. I don’t let them go out,” she said. “It’s useless to be nervous. We should just try our best to go out less.”
Factories have remained shut and the workers who staff them have been told they cannot leave their towns and villages to return to work. Some villages have begun to issue passes; others require those who want to leave to apply for a permit first.
In several areas, schools are not to reopen until the end of the month, prompting a flood of advice online for parents on how to keep their children engaged while under de facto house arrest. Families, used to seeing each other only a few times a year, have been hemmed in together for more than two weeks.
In Guiyi, Guangxi province, authorities have ordered everyone to stay home, except for one designated family member who can go out to purchase supplies – a trip that should last no longer than three hours.
The quarantine measures are worst for those in Hubei province, where officials have locked down Wuhan and neighbouring cities. Zhang, who is in her final year of university overseas, came back to Wuhan for the lunar new year to surprise her parents.
“Now my parents and I are trapped in our own home,” she said. “I cannot get out of the city, much less the province. I can only hope this disaster quickly passes and all the innocent people can return to normal life.”
Authorities have repeatedly stressed their commitment to sharing information, with daily updates about the number of cases and casualties.
But residents are aware of the government’s inclination to withhold information in the interest of maintaining social stability and already angry over the delay in reporting the current outbreak.
Many say they mistrust officially reported numbers in their own areas. The death of a doctor in Wuhan, who was punished for trying to warn colleagues about the virus, has only exacerbated public anger.
In Wenzhou, a coastal city in Zhejiang province about 500 miles (800km) from Wuhan, one resident, Zheng, said: “We are completely disappointed. They are lying, we know they are lying. They also know that we know they are lying, and yet they are still lying.”
Another critical resident in Xuzhou, in the southern province of Jiangsu, said: “This is truly a manmade disaster.”
Across Beijing, various neighbourhoods and villages are shut to outsiders. Some areas have multiple checkpoints, where commuters must have their temperatures taken. Those detected with a fever are turned away.
But residents also describe a newfound sense of community as people pick up groceries for older neighbours. With compounds short on workers, residents have volunteered to clear the snow and ice themselves.
“Ordinary people can’t be afraid. If everyone is afraid, our country will be in trouble,” said a 42-year-old resident in Changying surnamed An, who lives near the new isolation ward.
As the crisis continues, others have grown tired of staying home. At April and Cafe in Beijing’s Hutong neighbourhood of Gulou, customers have started to return. On Thursday afternoon, with seven people in the bar, it is the busiest it has been since the outbreak began, according to its owner.
A group poses for a selfie wearing face masks and holding cocktails. A man nurses a drink while reading a book. A bottle of hand sanitiser sits on his table.
Others say they have been through worse. Gao Wang, 75, lives in Gaobeidian in Beijing, sandwiched between two residential compounds that have recently had cases of the virus.
“Even during Sars when my family stayed at home, I still went out every day,” he says, standing in the snow outside his home doing exercises, rotating from the waist and stretching his arms – something he has been doing daily for years.
“If you catch the virus, there isn’t much you can do. I’m old now. What’s the point of worrying?”
Additional reporting by Lillian Yang and Michael Standaert
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/08/china-ghost-cities-fear-coronavirus-streets-deserted-outbreak
Friday, February 7, 2020
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Qaraxyo 8 qof ku dhinteen oo muqdisho iyo jubaland ka dhacey
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