China’s ‘Ghost Cities’

The Unreal, Eerie Emptiness of China’s ‘Ghost Cities’

THE KANGBASHI DISTRICT of Ordos, China is a marvel of urban planning, 137-square miles of shining towers, futuristic architecture and pristine parks carved out of the grassland of Inner Mongolia. It is a thoroughly modern city, but for one thing: No one lives there. Well, almost nobody. Kangbashi is one of hundreds of sparkling new cities sitting relatively empty throughout …