You’ve Got to Check Out This Chinese Ghost Town in…Angola?
- Posted on July 4, 2012 at 6:36am by
Becket Adams
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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.
“[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]:
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Comments (149)
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.
Report Post »teaisstronger
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 11:05amWOW!
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 Post »teaisstronger
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 11:14amThe 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 Post »teaisstronger
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 11:19amThese 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 Post »pattybbb1
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 2:40pmFuture Agenda 21 homes.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 10:57pmNow there’s a city with a low crime rate…..
Report Post »Patrick Henry II
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 11:40pmI’ll have to admit, I like the different colored roofs. They’re cool,
Report Post »adeleeeee
Posted on July 5, 2012 at 2:25amChinese 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 Post »Al Otto
Posted on July 5, 2012 at 10:15amsend each and every socialist lib there now
Report Post »freedom for sale
Posted on July 5, 2012 at 11:33amDid 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 Post »silentsender
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 10:11amCuriously, 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.
Report Post »jhrusky
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 10:54amActually, it resembles some type of huge game board … and that is not a comforting thought.
Report Post »Link8on
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 12:37pmThey 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 Post »Thatsitivehadenough
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 1:25pmThey 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 Post »AmericanPatriot
Posted on July 5, 2012 at 2:38amMy first thought was, put a fence around it and it’s a perfect prison.
Report Post »WaterTheTree
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 9:38amThe 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?
Report Post »drbage
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 10:01amThe 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 Post »Captain Crunch
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 1:05pmThe 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 Post »AnAmericanToo
Posted on July 16, 2012 at 2:52pmWhen 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 Post »FEWL
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 9:28amGhost 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.
Report Post »silentsender
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 10:18amANY 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 Post »cloudsofwar
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 9:24amlooks 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.
Report Post »Bum thrower
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 10:19amThe ‘excess male population’ in China is know as ‘disposable infantry’….
Report Post »Elena2010
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 12:54pmThe 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 Post »ncgrammie4
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 1:05pmThe 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 Post »Walkabout
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 1:30pmBum 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 Post »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 Post »Restorationist
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 9:20amMy 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.
Report Post »chips1
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 12:20pmI’ll bet that if it takes longer than 30 minutes to get your pizza, it won’t be free.
Report Post »cloudsofwar
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 9:15amUN Agenda 21. Angola has bought into Agenda 21 whole hartley. now force the people to move in.
Report Post »Rightallalong
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 10:52amAgenda 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 Post »pattybbb1
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 2:41pmYep, that was easy to figure out, wasn’t it!
Report Post »ChiefGeorge
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 9:18pmThis 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 Post »NancyBee
Posted on July 5, 2012 at 9:12amI agree……………Agenda 21
Report Post »hugo65hsv
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 9:09amReeks 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…
Report Post »Demloather
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 9:01amThese are the ‘Before” pictures.
Report Post »Cadcamtrainer
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 9:57amLOL……….. Wait until the “locals” are moving in…. Look what they did to South Africa…..
Report Post »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.
Report Post »DSTSS2010
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 9:36amAll you need are laborers willing, or forced to work for 10 to 12 dollars a day.
Report Post »Ialmostforgot
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 8:49amOK, one of the kids of the supreme leader in China was playing SIMS, and someone took the kid literally!
Report Post »Twobyfour
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 1:11pmYep, that was may take when I saw the images. SIMCITY.
Report Post »momrules
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 8:47amCreepy! Just plain old creepy.
Report Post »Utahcatholic
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 7:59pmHow do you find your apartment if you have a few too many some night???
Report Post »50211bs
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 8:37amMaybe they can call it “gaytown”, they are so pretty and color coordinated.
Report Post »AngelOnline
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 8:37amNotice 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.
Report Post »thenewhickschick
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 12:39pmDear 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.
Report Post »BloodSweatandTears
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 1:18pmColor coded so you know which building is yours and you don‘t wind up knocking on someone else’s
Report Post »door insisting it’s your condo. Sameness will produce crazy uninspired people.
kent grotz
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 6:39pmIt reminds me of Rome at about the time they built the Collisiem (sp).
Report Post »lylejk
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 8:19amSome 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
:)
Report Post »randy
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 8:19amObama is working with China…..
Report Post »All those Ghost Towns are just FEMA detention centers.
jhrusky
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 8:38amI’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?
Report Post »Mapache
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 8:03amNow all the libs who will vow to leave the USA if Obama is not re-elected have a place to go!
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 8:29amI can recommend a much warmer climate than Africa for the libs to go.
Report Post »chips1
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 12:46pmThey are taking your suggestion. The buses are almost loaded.
Report Post »SamIamTwo
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 8:01amTheir 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?
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 1:32pmTheir cities are bustling & teeming.
Report Post »bert5507
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 7:46amPerhaps 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.
Report Post »CK1911
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 9:30am…………and a PF Chang’s.
Report Post »Obamujahadeen
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 7:39amThat‘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. ; (
Report Post »CK1911
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 9:34ammaybe 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!
Report Post »ncgrammie4
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 1:21pmIn the US inner city they would have already been stripped of anything of value, graffiti covering the walls, and occupied by the crackheads.,
Report Post »oldsoldier10
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 7:39amget ready for the occupation!
Report Post »MRMANN
Posted on July 5, 2012 at 3:55amYes, when the oil deal comes to fruition.
Report Post »deimos
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 7:36amso pretty and clean. move some ghetto trash in and see how long it lasts.
Report Post »Welcome Black Carter
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 10:20pmIt will end up occupied by the natives… tomatoes growing in the commodes and bathtubs.
Report Post »Think Detroit.
smasaoka
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 7:36amI’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!
Report Post »NOTAMUSHROOM
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 7:19amCommies never learn.
Report Post »MOLLYPITCHER
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 7:18amMakes me think of a creepy futuristic movie.
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