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The city of Ordos is located in a remote province of Inner Mongolia. The soil under the city holds a third of China’s coal reserves — which makes it an attractive place for urban development.
Beijing – coal and gas are to blame. When huge deposits were discovered south of Dongsheng in 2000 – estimated to be around 15 percent of China’s total coal and 30 percent of China’s total natural gas reserves – the city’s boundaries were expanded, the city was suddenly named Ordos and New Ordos was created, a residential district for one million people.
Ten years later, far fewer than the 300,000 inhabitants initially targeted live there, probably only a few thousand. Welcome to the largest ghost town in China.
With a lot of money and gigantism, New Ordos was to become a second Dubai – in the middle of the steppe, where the Yellow River flows in a huge arc through Inner Mongolia. Luxurious skyscrapers are now towering in the sky here. Business centers made of polished glass and steel are perched on a hilltop. A colossal statue of Genghis Khan stands on a spacious plaza. A phalanx of five-star hotels line the wide boulevards full of shopping malls and residential complexes with condominiums.
There are huge parks everywhere, many equipped with sports equipment, and a seemingly endless lake. Oversized works of art adorn the squares, an airport terminal stretches on the edge.
Does anyone live in Ordos?
Where is the Ordos desert located?
How much did Ordos City cost?
Where is the Ordos loop?
