9 of China’s most expensive abandoned buildings; the $80 billion project became a ghost village

Have you ever noticed abandoned buildings while passing through a strange city? The massive, unfinished, and silent structures over the years have become like scars on the face of the city, making people wonder when they will be completed. In China, such buildings have become paradoxical landmarks, both familiar and haunting in the eyes of locals and tourists. These are not just abandoned buildings. Each one contains a story of ambition, endless struggles and unmet expectations, evoking indescribable emotions. There was a time when they were expected to become symbols of development, places where people placed their hopes. Today, we will explore the top 9 most expensive unfinished buildings in China. Perhaps these buildings will surprise you, or even leave you with a sense of regret. Without further ado, let's begin this journey of discovery. Number 9. Changsha Sky City. The ninth place is Changsha Sky City. Also known as Wangyuan Building, Changsha Sky City is a planning and construction project located in Wangyuan District, Changsha City. The skyscraper is planned to reach a height of 838 meters, with a total of 202 floors above ground and 6 floors underground. It is designed to surpass the Burj Khalifa in Dubai and become the tallest building in the world. The function of each floor has been carefully planned. The first to fifth floors are designated for primary and secondary schools, nurseries, nursing homes and healthcare facilities, while the sixth to fifteenth floors will be office buildings. The upper floors will feature apartments of various types. Additionally, top hotels and high-altitude restaurants will occupy 86,400 square meters. There will also be a three-dimensional organic farm and an 8,000 square meter open-air sky garden. According to the builder, Yuanda Group, the Sky City adopts an absolutely symmetrical pyramid-shaped structure, which is extremely stable. This, combined with a mature beam tube structure and Luxembourg giant H-steel, ensures the building will not collapse in a nine-degree earthquake. All the steel columns are wrapped in fire-resistant boards, and hundreds of strength and fire resistance tests have shown the structure can withstand burning for more than three hours. Although the concept is ambitious, it is also very challenging. The construction of the building began in 2013, but shortly after it started, there were no updates or signs of the project restarting. 8. Australian-Style Villas Australian Villa was a sensation when it first opened in 1997, located in Wuyang New Town, in the center of Guangzhou at that time. The price of a new house was 3,000 to 4,000 yuan per square meter. But even though Australian Villa was nearly an hour's drive from the city center, it sold at this price. According to data, Australian Villa offered a 20-year interest-free installment plan, with the first payment set at 38,000 yuan, and a monthly payment of 480 yuan. The price advantage and the attractive livable environment led many people to flock to buy houses. Some owners bought a house with full payment to support their parents, while others borrowed money from various sources to make the down payment and secure a bank mortgage. No one expected that this villa would remain unfinished for 25 years, becoming a scar on Guangzhou's property market and even the city itself. There are 292 buildings, of which 225 are capped, with the rest being rebuilt or unfinished projects, although most buildings are structurally complete. Over the past 20 years, it has transformed from a bustling area into a ghost town, overtaken by grass. The vast community spans thousands of acres, with more than 20 elderly owners who rarely see anyone. The buildings are in disrepair, with vines crawling over them. The nearest city center is 5 kilometers away. In the early years, there were still buses running, but now only a long mountain road remains. Most of the people living here are elderly residents, many of whom live alone. Some owners, feeling regret, wish they had never bought these homes, and vow never to return. Number 7. Hunan Jiangnan Ancient City. Jiangnan Ancient City is located in Yiyang City, Hunan Province, near Changsha Huanghua International Airport. It boasts an exceptional location and is designed as a 5A-level scenic spot, integrating tourism, residential, shopping, business, entertainment, and leisure functions. The ancient city occupies an area of 2,000 mu, making it a massive scenic area. The design was inspired by the appearance of Wuzhen and Nanshun ancient towns. If it had been completed on schedule, it would have been a powerful tourist destination in Hunan. The developer quickly purchased the land, seeing the region's huge development potential, and invested 11 billion yuan to build the site. However, the developer underestimated the total cost of the project, and the Jiangnan Ancient City project reported a broken capital chain just as it was beginning to take shape. During this critical period, the developer explored several ways to resolve the issue, but all efforts were in vain. Ultimately, the project was abandoned. Since the project was halted, no suitable developer has taken it over. Now, Jiangnan Ancient City remains desolate and silent, with only weeds and birds present. It's estimated that no other creatures dare to approach this area. From a distance, it resembles a ghost town from a horror movie. Number 6. Shanghai Golden Landmark Shanghai Golden Landmark is the longest unfinished building in Shanghai so far, and it likely has the best geographical location. Despite still appearing as under construction on maps, it has been 23 years since the land for Shanghai Golden Landmark was sold. In 1999, an Indonesian businessman named Wang Hengshin purchased the land for 300 million yuan. At the time, Pudong's land prices were exceptionally low, making this land an incredible deal. In 2004, construction on the building began with an investment of 800 million yuan. It was originally scheduled to be completed and opened by 2008, but due to the financial struggles of multiple developers, the building has remained unfinished ever since. Located in the most prosperous core business district in Shanghai, the building has become the city's most famous unfinished structure. The government has auctioned off the property multiple times, with prices dropping from 17 billion yuan to 7 billion, but it still remains unsold. The building's exterior is covered in years of accumulated rubble and overgrown with weeds, creating a desolate scene. It is especially ironic that this unfinished building is located next to three other iconic buildings in Lujiazui—Jinmao Tower, the World Financial Center, and the Shanghai Tower. Number 5. Shanghai Wujiao World Trade Center. You know that there is also a pentagon in Shanghai, China. This is the Shanghai Pentagon World Trade Center. Modeled after the Pentagon, construction began in 2003. With its name inspired by the U.S. Pentagon, its enormous footprint, and strong marketing efforts, the building gained public attention by 2009. Nearly completed in 2008, the building covers a total construction area of 500,000 square meters and is known as the Wujiao World Trade Center. In 2003, a commercial complex of 500,000 square meters about 750 emu in Pudong, Huinan, was quite shocking. Even now, it remains the largest single commercial building in Shanghai. Nanshiang Impression City, for example, is only 340,000 square meters, about 508 acres. Therefore, the completion of the Shanghai Wujiao World Trade Center made it the largest super-commercial complex and commercial center in Shanghai at that time. However, after its completion in 2009, most of the shops have remained vacant. The few that opened closed quickly, leaving only one hotel-style apartment in operation. The investment of more than 30 billion yuan has ultimately been in vain, making it a ruined building. Number 4. Xiamen Xiangshan Yacht Club. When people think of they often picture a large city with sea gardens in the center. However, on the outskirts of this beautiful city lies a luxurious water villa. The Xiangshan Yacht Project is located on the eastern part of Xiamen Island in the Xiangshan Wind Shelter Area, which is a coastal tourist area. It boasts a beautiful beach and faces Little Kinmen Island across the sea. Many media outlets have reported that it will be the largest yacht club in Asia. The Yacht Club's Oriental Yachting Life City project is planned to cover more than 700,000 square meters, with a total of 952 yacht parking spaces, 8 commercial service halls, and 157 water villas. The Xiangshan Yacht Project began reclamation from the sea in 2005, and by 2008, the sea area filling work was completed. However, during the project's construction, there were repeated shutdowns and resumptions of work. Over the course of 16 years, financial institutions associated with the project have changed multiple times. The current valuation is 30 billion renminbi, though it remains uncertain whether it will be taken over by someone in the future or remain unfinished. Number 3. Dushan County's Shuizi Building. Looking at the picture below, you will definitely be amazed. It is truly spectacular and has even been declared for three Guinness World Records. However, these are not its most impressive titles. Its most powerful title is China's Most Expensive Unfinished Building, which should have become the most expensive in the local area. Unfortunately, it is frequently mentioned as a negative teaching material and even listed among China's Top 10 Ugliest Buildings. The building is called the Shuizi Building, and its real name is Shuizi Mansion Hall. It is known as the number. One Shuizi Building in the world. It is located in Dushan County, Guizhou Province. Construction of the Shuizi Building started in September 2016. The total construction area is 60,000 square meters. The building is 99.9 meters high, and the exterior wall is made of glazed pottery. The color is rich and vibrant. It is spectacular from the bottom up. The majesty of its scale makes people sigh. The original architectural concept was to build it with an all wood frame mortise and tenon structure, meaning that the entire construction process would not use a single screw. However, it is impossible to support its 99.9 meter height and the weight of its 60,000 square meter area with a wooden structure alone, so the final implementation plan was based on a reinforced concrete frame structure with many wooden elements added. According to media reports, Dushan County's annual fiscal revenue is only about 1 billion yuan. However, this county spent 200 million yuan to build this world-class landmark. Why is this building ranked third? Because it is just one of the world-class landmarks built by Dushan County. Dushan County has only one street and eight towns. To build a world-class landmark, Dushan County borrowed 40 billion yuan to create a landscape with five steps and one bad building. Number two, Tianjin Golden 117 building. This skyscraper with a design height of 117 stories, 596.5 meters, and a total investment of more than 70 billion yuan is currently the second tallest building in the world after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai and the highest structural building in China. The Tianjin Golden 117 building was constructed by Golden Group with a huge investment of 70 billion yuan. The entire project consists of a main tower with a structural height of 596.5 meters, three auxiliary towers over 300 meters tall, and supporting luxury villas, high-end apartments, luxury shopping malls, a five-star super luxury hotel, and the Tianjin Huania Polo Sports Theme Park. Looking at the whole of China, there is currently no second Golden Group, which originated from Hong Kong. Despite making a lot of money, 15 years have passed since the construction started in 2008, and it is still not finished. This building has faced nearly all possible crises, lack of funds, work suspensions, height limits, project transfers, and even a The Tianjin Golden 117 building, which is still on hold, has become the unfinished project with the highest investment, the longest construction time, and the highest single structure in the world. Number 1. Afang Palace. The Afang Palace, the largest, most famous, and expensive unfinished building in China, stands in contrast to the ancient Xianyang Palace of the Qin Dynasty. While Qin Shi Huang's four major projects, the Great Wall, Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum, Qin Jidao, and Afang Palace, are historical treasures, the Afang Palace was never completed. After Qin Shi Huang's death, work stopped, and the project was never resumed due to financial and resource constraints. In 1994, the Afang Palace was listed by the UN as one of the best Had it been finished, its value would have been immense. The Qin Great Wall, for example, took 10 years to build and would be worth approximately 600 billion yuan today. The Afang Palace, covering 15 square kilometers, would have been even more refined and costly. Compared to the Beijing Forbidden City, its value would exceed 1.392 billion dollars, and its treasures were collected from the six countries unified by Qin Shi Huang. Despite being incomplete for over 2,000 years, the Afang Palace still attracts many tourists.