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You’ve Got to Check Out This Chinese Ghost Town in…Angola?

Jul. 4, 2012 6:36am Becket Adams

We know, we know, we write about Chinese ghost towns a lot on The Blaze. But you know what? The subject never seems to get old or any less creepy. That being said, here’s the latest from the world of centrally-planned boondoggles: a Chinese “satellite city” in Angola.

Angola?

“[S]tate-owned China International Trust and Investment Corporation (CITIC) has built a town in Angola. And it’s fairly empty,” writes Business Insider’s Mamta Badkar.

“Just outside Angola’s capital city of Luanda is Nova Cidade de Kilamba a residential development of 750 eight-story apartment buildings, a dozen schools, and more than 100 retail units,” the report adds.

The development cost $3.5 billion and was supposed to house approximately 500,000 people, according to the BBC.

“Angolan president José Eduardo dos Santos has touted the ‘Kilamba social housing project’ as an example of his social policy, and he has brought international policymakers including Chinese vice-president Xi Jingping to the site,” the BI report adds.

Guess how much apartments in the much-touted complex cost: while the BBC claims that it’s somewhere between $120,000 and $200,000, other evidence claims that a 3-bedroom apartment can run as much as $250,000.

Keep in mind this is Angola. Considering that the country’s GDP per capita in 2011 was $5,144, according to World Bank data cited by Badkar, a $250,000 apartment sounds, um, a wee bit expensive.

“Despite efforts by the government to portray Kilamba as a thriving community through promotional videos, only 220 of the 2,800 apartments have been sold in the first year and the commercial space and schools remain empty,” Construction Digital reports. Shocker.

So why is this Angola development mostly empty?

There’s the usual reason: it was centrally planned from miles away by a committee that failed to take into account the actual and existing market demands of the local population as well as the overall economic health of Angola.

But there’s also this interesting theory from Business Insider: “Angola serves as China’s largest source of oil in Africa. Some like energy expert@pcdunham speculate this could be in preparation for oil money that is expected once the country begins developing new oil discoveries.”

Whatever the reason, the city is almost entirely empty and, as mentioned in the above, supremely creepy. See for yourself [all photos via BI]:

Click here to see the whole slide show.

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Comments (150)

AChatterer
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 10:35am
“Despite efforts by the government to portray Kilamba as a thriving community through promotional videos, only 220 of the 2,800 apartments have been sold in the first year and the commercial space and schools remain empty,” Maybe they should talk to some of the left wingers over here and see if they can teach them how to improve their propaganda machine.

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- teaisstronger
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 11:05am
  WOW!
  
  There buildings like that in Florida that have not had cars in the parking lots for years. Are there Chinese Ghost Towns being build in America.
  
  America is already the Eastern Chinese Province in North America. Soon our Chinese masters will be moving here to take over. Its a good thing that most Americans like Chinese food.
  
  Report this comment
- teaisstronger
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 11:14am
  The exact design of buildings are here in America. Many that I have seen have empty parking lots a are dark at night except for security lights. Who build them? Are towns collecting real estate taxes on them? Remember when Democrats told you that it didn’t really matter were things were made. America will be China’s greatest conquest.
  
  Report this comment
- teaisstronger
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 11:19am
  These may be retirement communities for Chinese workers but there seems to be something missing. Stores and hospitals. China does not have a consumer based consumption economy. Their productivity is so high they have a surplus even selling to America and the rest of the world. To provide jobs for their 4 billion people they need to do things like this to keep employment up or there will be unrest and revolution. When they are finished, they may tear these towns down and start over.
  
  Report this comment
- pattybbb1
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 2:40pm
  Future Agenda 21 homes.
  
  Report this comment
- The-Monk
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 10:57pm
  Now there’s a city with a low crime rate…..
  
  Report this comment
- Patrick Henry II
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 11:40pm
  I’ll have to admit, I like the different colored roofs. They’re cool,
  
  Report this comment
- adeleeeee
  Posted on July 5, 2012 at 2:25am
  Chinese puts lots of efforts in Africa especially on agriculture, oil-refining industry and mining industry. Some Chinese even go there to start an enterprise. It seems lots of great opportunities for China government and Chinese lay people too. Not sure why but I guess China government wants third world power and Chinese are eager for the opportunities that won’t have in China.
  
  ANGOLA? Barkely 92 Dream Team Conference:”I don’t know anything about Angola but Angola’s in trouble.”
  
  Report this comment
- Al Otto
  Posted on July 5, 2012 at 10:15am
  send each and every socialist lib there now
  
  Report this comment
- freedom for sale
  Posted on July 5, 2012 at 11:33am
  Did you guys notice the guy watering the lawn. He has a hard hat on, but he’s not wearing any shoes. I just thought that was funny.
  
  Report this comment
- do_it_all_again
  Posted on May 14, 2013 at 1:55am
  you can go to google maps and type in “Angola Africa Kilamba” this place is big and empty !
  
  Report this comment
silentsender
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 10:11am
Curiously, the city appears to be laid out in sectors, color-coded, red, blue, green and yellow. Whatever the purpose of the city is- it certainly is design well for population management and martial law.

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- jhrusky
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 10:54am
  Actually, it resembles some type of huge game board … and that is not a comforting thought.
  
  Report this comment
- Link8on
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 12:37pm
  They can host the world wide monopoly tournaments there and give 1 annual condo away to the winners.
  
  Then the local municipality can collect property tax.
  
  IF these buildings are still owned by the Chinese central planners, then they should be properly.
  
  If owned by Angola, then that country will be in really bad shape soon
  
  Report this comment
- Thatsitivehadenough
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 1:25pm
  They are probably being built for the Chinese communist administrators who will oversee the slave labor. Let’s face it. If Obama, Jarrett, Trumka, Soros, Putin, succeed in bringing the USA down, who will be anywhere to stop these tyrants from enslaving the whole world? No one. That’s who.
  
  Pray OMG 2012. If not sooner.
  
  Report this comment
- AmericanPatriot
  Posted on July 5, 2012 at 2:38am
  My first thought was, put a fence around it and it’s a perfect prison.
  
  Report this comment
WaterTheTree
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 9:38am
The Chinese wanted to build a similar city here in the US. Milan Michigan, outside of Detroit and near Lake Erie.

I can’t believe that they’ll leave this empty for long. Just how many Chinese “police” can be put in a city like that in order to keep the peace after Angola becomes a protectorate of China?

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- drbage
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 10:01am
  The Chinese version of an “effective stimulus program”–massive costs and maybe 10 jobs created, but no one from the non-governmental world is buying into it.
  
  Report this comment
- Captain Crunch
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 1:05pm
  The only things of significance in Milan Michigan is a race track and a Federal Prison. Signs are posted on the highway to not pickup hitchhikers.
  
  Report this comment
- AnAmericanToo
  Posted on July 16, 2012 at 2:52pm
  When I first saw the Chinese ghost cities – I was thinking what a bunch crazed communists who created massive busy work projects. But after thinking about these strange uninhabited cities, I think these cities are actually built in anticipation of future usage — just when, for what, and who will be allowed to live in these cities…I don’t know. I just don’t believe that even the corrupted communist Chinese system would build massive cities for ‘ghosts’.
  
  Report this comment
FEWL
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 9:28am
Ghost town? OR place to go when everything else is destroyed? Maybe China is prepping for a limited nuclear exchange and that is why they have these Ghost cities that would likely not be primary targets.

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- silentsender
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 10:18am
  ANY nuclear conflict (even limited) would pretty much wreak major havoc on the global environment. Nobody would be safe from fallout and radiation. Besides, they’d have to move their populations to those ghost cities ‘before’ a nuclear attack, and i sure nuclear armed enemies would have the means to know about a major shift of the population to these cities. In the spirit of a ‘disaster scenario’ it would be more likely that the cities would be used to separate healthy people from infected people during a major SARS or bird flu outbreak.
  
  Report this comment
cloudsofwar
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 9:24am
looks like more Chinese walking around than Angolans. maybe a future chinese vacation city. when you just got to get away from it all. thats it their going to fill it up with china men. too many men in china not enough chinese women. looks like Angolan women have some future husbands.

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- Bum thrower
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 10:19am
  The ‘excess male population’ in China is know as ‘disposable infantry’….
  
  Report this comment
- Elena2010
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 12:54pm
  The Chinese are quietly taking over Africa as its new colonial master. Africans will fare little better than when the Brits, French, Belgians, Germans, and Italians fought over the continent.
  
  Report this comment
- ncgrammie4
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 1:05pm
  The Chinese will get what they deserve when they try to control the Africans, and the Africans will get what they deserve for letting the Chinese take over. Poetic justice.
  
  Report this comment
- Walkabout
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 1:30pm
  Bum thrower
  
  The ‘excess male population’ in China is know as ‘disposable infantry’…
  ___
  I am afraid that oligarchist might think this way. China supported North Vietnam to the hilt. They want no American sphere of interest in the Western Pacific.
  
  As such they transported 24 American 155 howitzers captured during the Korean war to Vietnam making Bien Dien Phu possible. The American artillery outranged the French artillery.
  
  During the Vietnam War they stationed 300,000 Chinese troops in North Vietnam. The North Vietnamese troops guarding the north were then released for the Tet Offensive. This is well known, but I have independent confirmation of Significant Chinese troops in North Vietnam.
  
  My question is this. The American were gone or at least beat back (in Chinese eyes). All nations have border disputes, Vietnam & China included. Why go to war a mere 5 years after the conclusion of the Vietnam war against an ally? Sure they have some history. But they also are both communist & recent allies. How many square mules of land were in dispute? I wonder if China got rid of excess men in 1974. Sure they beat the Vietnamese & ravaged the upped Red River Valley but they took horrendous casualties.
  
  Something tells me they did not send in their A team.
  
  Report this comment
- Enuff Zenuff
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 5:26pm
  @Elena2010 – Don’t forget the Portuguese – another European power with large colonies in Africa… In fact, every country in Africa was at one time a colony of a European power with one exception… Americans created Liberia as a free country/homeland for freed slaves to return to Africa.
  
  Is it just me or has anyone else bristled at the number of anti-American articles and comments being posted today on our July 4th Independence day? (slamming America for our ‘racism’). The progressive left is truly deranged! Chris Rock, Eric Holder, and all the other racist blacks that complain about America’s history should get down on their knees and thank God today that they are here in America instead of being citizens of African nations where they would never have become millionaires. They are unworthy of all the sacrifices that have been made for their freedoms & opportunities.
  
  Report this comment
Restorationist
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 9:20am
My guess is that this “city” was not built primarily for Angolans. It seems logical that if China was seeking control of the oil production they would need to provide accommodations for the Chinese administrators and managers. US oil companies have built compounds on a much smaller scale in various countries to house foreign workers. This is on a much larger scale. It is more like what would be requires to administer a region or a small country.

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- chips1
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 12:20pm
  I’ll bet that if it takes longer than 30 minutes to get your pizza, it won’t be free.
  
  Report this comment
cloudsofwar
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 9:15am
UN Agenda 21. Angola has bought into Agenda 21 whole hartley. now force the people to move in.

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- Rightallalong
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 10:52am
  Agenda 21 indeeed … even in the base for all liberal in Texas, Austin, they are bulding these self contained shopping and living areas. Retail on the bottom residential on top. The city has made huge concessions in regard to zoning and taxes to allow the developers to build these areas. The younger folks think its ‘awesome’. I see them as compounds in the making …. A ‘gated community’ is just as good at keeping people in as they are at keeping people out.
  
  Report this comment
- pattybbb1
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 2:41pm
  Yep, that was easy to figure out, wasn’t it!
  
  Report this comment
- ChiefGeorge
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 9:18pm
  This is how they live in the UAE!
  
  I really hope this is not for the relocation of our elders! Who else with checks from the US government could sustain themselves in buildings such as these…surely not poor Angolans or other.
  
  Report this comment
- NancyBee
  Posted on July 5, 2012 at 9:12am
  I agree……………Agenda 21
  
  Report this comment
hugo65hsv
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 9:09am
Reeks of no individualism some eery notion of equality (sameness) a socialistic society lifestyle, warehousing of the masses, for contol.. This must be what Van Jones dreams about and what Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, progressive and liberal pundits are fighting for… This is Big Governments preparation for the numbered city numbered citizen one world government to come.. Ugh I’d rather be dead…

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Demloather
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 9:01am
These are the ‘Before” pictures.

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- Cadcamtrainer
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 9:57am
  LOL……….. Wait until the “locals” are moving in…. Look what they did to South Africa…..
  
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pizzaman87
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 8:56am
$3.5 billion for a half million people communities. seem cheaper than Most our government programs. This seem the cheaper way to go.

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- DSTSS2010
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 9:36am
  All you need are laborers willing, or forced to work for 10 to 12 dollars a day.
  
  Report this comment
Ialmostforgot
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 8:49am
OK, one of the kids of the supreme leader in China was playing SIMS, and someone took the kid literally!

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- Twobyfour
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 1:11pm
  Yep, that was may take when I saw the images. SIMCITY.
  
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momrules
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 8:47am
Creepy! Just plain old creepy.

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- Utahcatholic
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 7:59pm
  How do you find your apartment if you have a few too many some night???
  
  Report this comment
50211bs
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 8:37am
Maybe they can call it “gaytown”, they are so pretty and color coordinated.

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AngelOnline
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 8:37am
Notice the COLORS of the buildings? What will they be designating by that? WHO lives there….and WHY would that be necessary? Look to history and you will find your answer.

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- thenewhickschick
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 12:39pm
  Dear Angel, If you ever check back as I will on this post, could you please offer another hint? Perhaps my research skills are terrible because I’ve just spent the last hour looking for anything in history to match what it is you would like people to know without a thread to grab onto. Please help! Thank you.
  
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- BloodSweatandTears
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 1:18pm
  Color coded so you know which building is yours and you don’t wind up knocking on someone else’s
  door insisting it’s your condo. Sameness will produce crazy uninspired people.
  
  Report this comment
- kent grotz
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 6:39pm
  It reminds me of Rome at about the time they built the Collisiem (sp).
  
  Report this comment
lylejk
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 8:19am
Some of these captures almost look CG to me; definitely a surreal site. A building garden with a caretaker watering the premise hoping that the place will sprout more buildings. lol

:)

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randy
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 8:19am
Obama is working with China…..
All those Ghost Towns are just FEMA detention centers.

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- jhrusky
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 8:38am
  I’ve had similar thoughts when studying all these ghost towns that are being built. There must be some purpose one would think. Perhaps re-education towns for people who will not embrace the party line? One could come up with some pretty good conspiracy claims on this … Alex Jones, where are you?
  
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Mapache
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 8:03am
Now all the libs who will vow to leave the USA if Obama is not re-elected have a place to go!

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- progressiveslayer
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 8:29am
  I can recommend a much warmer climate than Africa for the libs to go.
  
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- chips1
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 12:46pm
  They are taking your suggestion. The buses are almost loaded.
  
  Report this comment
SamIamTwo
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 8:01am
Their population is huge. But the people are poor. Commies have no understanding of economics.

But perhaps they are preparing for the US retirees, who can no longer afford to live in the US. LOL Close, eh?

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- Walkabout
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 1:32pm
  Their cities are bustling & teeming.
  
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bert5507
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 7:46am
Perhaps this could be a retirement home for all the left politicians that will be voted out of office in November. All it needs is a golf course.

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- CK1911
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 9:30am
  …………and a PF Chang’s.
  
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Obamujahadeen
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 7:39am
That’s what Chicago’s Robert Taylor homes and Cabrini Green looked like the day they finished building them… and also the last day they looked like THAT before the O voters got a hold of em and turned them into hi rise vertical ghettos.

Especially the courtyards with the guy watering in those pics, they looked like that one summer, that was it.. I’m sure the Angolan’s will treat em much better once they figure out what they are.. that could take decades. ; (

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- CK1911
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 9:34am
  maybe the residents here won’t take sniper practice on the city vehicles like they do on the snowplows, garbage trucks, etc. in the Robert Taylor Homes and Cabrini Green. Dy-no-mite!
  
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- ncgrammie4
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 1:21pm
  In the US inner city they would have already been stripped of anything of value, graffiti covering the walls, and occupied by the crackheads.,
  
  Report this comment
oldsoldier10
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 7:39am
get ready for the occupation!

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- MRMANN
  Posted on July 5, 2012 at 3:55am
  Yes, when the oil deal comes to fruition.
  
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deimos
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 7:36am
so pretty and clean. move some ghetto trash in and see how long it lasts.

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- Welcome Black Carter
  Posted on July 4, 2012 at 10:20pm
  It will end up occupied by the natives… tomatoes growing in the commodes and bathtubs.
  Think Detroit.
  
  Report this comment
smasaoka
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 7:36am
I’m amazed how nice, clean, and well-kept it looks. Put this in Detroit and in one night it would all but disappear after the vandalism!

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NOTAMUSHROOM
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 7:19am
Commies never learn.

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MOLLYPITCHER
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 7:18am
Makes me think of a creepy futuristic movie.

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