Check out a real Chinese ghost mall: the Orient Center of Zhengdong New District.
Published on March 31, 2013
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Construction was completed on the Orient Center mall in the Zhengdong CBD New District of Zhengzhou, Henan province, three years ago, but it still sits completely vacant today. There is not a single store or restaurant open in this place — and there never has been. This is a ghost mall.
More on Vagabond Journey: Check Out The World’s Largest (Ghost) Mall
The mall’s developers claim that it is set to open as an actual shopping center within the next year, and though it is easy to be cynical here, judging from the way the rest of the Zhengdong CBD is rapidly attracting businesses and residents, I can’t doubt it.
60 Minutes filmed in this mall for their “China ghost city” segment which aired on March 3, 2013. They used this mall as evidence that China’s ever inflating real estate bubble is about to burst, but here at Vagabond Journey we’re not so easily convinced. We are also not afraid to usurp our own journalistic narrative here and admit that there is a much larger mall right next to this one that is full of stores and appears to be thriving. It is not difficult to envision the same happening here.
But, as of now, the Orient Center remains a ghost mall. Have a look:
Chinese ghost mall photo gallery
Click on the thumbnails to view a larger image with a more in-depth description.
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- Hallways to nowhere.
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- This elevator works, but I don’t know why anyone would have a reason to use it.
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- No, you can’t get coffee here, this is a ghost mall.
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- A Nike “store” in a ghost mall.
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- Adidas sign in a ghost mall.
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- The Chinese don’t try to hide their ghost malls, in fact, they show them off to visitors on business trips.
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- The only life here was of Chinese people on a business trip taking a tour.
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- Dark and empty.
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- This is the view from a ghost mall.
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- This place is truly desolate.
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- This Ghost mall is big, it has three floors.
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- Empty, still, desolate.
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- Much of the mall was left unfinished.
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- The deserted hallway of a ghost mall.
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- KFC in a ghost mall.
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- The main entrance.
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- This ghost mall stretches for two blocks.
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- Entrance to a ghost mall (doors locked).
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- The desolate hallways of a ghost mall.
Now watch a video
More on Vagabond Journey: China’s Ghost Cities Series
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About the Author: VBJ
I am the founder and editor of Vagabond Journey. I’ve been traveling the world since 1999, through 91 countries. I am the author of the book, Ghost Cities of China and have written for The Guardian, Forbes, Bloomberg, The Diplomat, the South China Morning Post, and other publications. VBJ has written 3715 posts on Vagabond Journey. Contact the author.
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