Tag: megalopolis

China’s Amazing Mega Projects & Megalopolis

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16-billion-the-jiaozhou-bay-bridge-is-the-worlds-longest-cross-sea-bridge-stretching-nearly-26-miles-almost-the-length-of-a-marathon

The Jiaozhou Bay Bridge

By Paul Chong                               Sunday, 29 January 2017

China from an essentially poor agrarian country to its present status as an economic & industrial super-power is absolutely unprecedented & unmatched by any other country in the world . . . achieving it all in a matter of 3 to 4 decades. Putting it simply, it’s like leaping from having no phone to super smart phone. Historically, no other nation has ever done that.

It’s similar to walking on the moon as a giant step for mankind. Indeed China’s growth & progress have gone & impacted foreign shores by its win-win policy of mutual benefits sharing. Now technological & scientific advancements have propelled China to seeking out outer space, the moon & beyond.

In a quick flashback, China has been known & accustomed to monumental projects like the Great Wall, the Grand Canal, the Forbidden City & more recently the Three Gorges Dam . . . to showcase its engineering prowess and project its economic might.

Over the next 10 years, the China plans to move 250 million people — the equivalent of Indonesia’s entire population — into the country’s rapidly-growing mega cities. It has lifted out of poverty some 700 million to date.“China has always had this history of mega-projects,” said Huang Yukon, an economist and senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a think tank based in Washington.”
“It’s part of the blood, the culture, the nature of its society. To have an impact on the country, they’ve got to be big.”

From highways that span the continent, to, the largest wind power base in the world, to enormously popular airports, to new cities in the desert, China is showing what it really means to do big things.

Many of the projects are simply colossal, absolutely unbelievable & totally out of this world & cost exorbitant.

Huge superstructure projects could bolster China’s position as a manufacturing and trading powerhouse. In November 2016, the government said its freight rail link between eastern China and Spain had opened, allowing factory goods to reach Spain in just over 20 days. It is now the world’s longest rail journey, far surpassing the route of the famed Trans-Siberian Railway. Recently China’s freight trains achieved successful link between Shanghai & London.

35-billion-the-beijing-shanghai-high-speed-railway-is-the-worlds-longest-high-speed-rail-project-to-be-constructed-in-a-single-phase

The Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway

The Beijing Shanghai High Speed Railway is the world’s longest high-speed rail project to be constructed in a single phase. ($35 BILLION).

The Jiaozhou Bay Bridge is the world’s longest cross-sea bridge, stretching nearly 26 miles — almost the length of a marathon. Bridge-building in China has become something akin to an Olympic event. In 2007, after China completed the longest sea-crossing bridge, in Hangzhou, the nation has regularly broken records. China now claims the longest bridge of any kind, the highest bridge and, in 2011, a new successor to the longest sea-crossing bridge, 26.4 miles long, in the eastern city of Qingdao. ($16 BILLION).

As a one-party state, China can easily muster the political will and financial resources to undertake such huge projects. The crux of the matter is that there is no undue bureaucratic delay in implementing & working through its undertaking.

In Dalian, a city of six million in the northeast, the proposed underwater rail tunnel to Yantai is just one piece of a master plan that includes a 163-mile urban transit system.

Work is also underway on what the city says will be the world’s largest offshore airport, a $4.3 billion development on an artificial island created with landfill, covering more than eight square miles.

Gansu Wind Farm
Located in the desert of northwest China, this is expected to be the world’s biggest wind turbine farm, with a capacity of 20,000 megawatts by 2020. ( $17.5 BILLION).

New Century Global Center
With 1.7 million square meters of floor space, it is the biggest building in the world, nearly three times the size of the Pentagon. ($2 BILLION).

Beijing Daxing International Airport
Groundbreaking has begun on Beijing’s third city airport, to be located south of the city, and due to open in 2019. ($13 BILLION).

Jiaozhou Bay Bridge
At 26.4 miles, the world’s longest sea-crossing bridge, with six lanes for car traffic. Opened in 2011. ($2.3 BILLION).

Shanghai Yangshan Deepwater Port
Built 20 miles out to sea, on a group of islands connected by one of the world’s longest bridges. ($18 BILLION).

South-North Water Diversion Project
A series of huge canals and pipelines that pump water from three different regions up north. ($80 BILLION).

West to East Gas Pipeline
A series of pipelines that ship gas to Shanghai and other big coastal areas. Major sections due to be completed by 2017. ($71 BILLION).

High-Speed Rail Network
The world’s most extensive high-speed rail system, now with more than 12,000 kilometers of track completed and speeds of up to 350 kilometers. ($322 BILLION).

MEGALOPOLIS
The most fascinating mega projects to be developed will be two Megalopolis.

322-billion-by-2030-china-plans-to-round-up-42-million-people-from-a-nine-city-region-into-one-giant-megacity-in-the-pearl-river-delta-the-population-is-expected-to-hit-80-million-by-the-time-construc

Megalopolis in the Pearl River Delta Region

By 2030, China plans to round up 42 million people from a nine-city region into one giant megacity in the Pearl River Delta. The population is expected to hit 80 million by the time construction ends. ($322Billion).

Up north, Jingjinji or Jing-Jin-Ji (JJJ), also known as Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, will become the national capital region of China. It is the biggest urbanized region in Northern China that includes an economic region surrounding Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei, along the coast of the Bohai Sea.

The new city should unite Beijing, Tianjin and the Hebei region into one supercity or megalopolis. China has approved a $36 billion railway plan to improve transport links between Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei.

Jing-Jin-Ji in China is so big it’s estimated to be the size of 17 Sydneys and, once completed, will be home to 130 million people, nearly three times the size of US population.

The massive project, which will see Beijing, the port city of Tianjin and the Hebei hinterland region connected by high speed rail, began two years ago, Chinese authorities have been talking about creating it for more than a decade.

This was born out of political pressure rather than economic prosperity. Over population, traffic congestion and high levels of air pollution have forced Chinese authorities to devise a new way of dealing with the growing problems, according to University of Sydney associate professor Duanfang Lu.

As a whole, each region will have its specific functions & responsibilities with Beijing essentially functioning on administration.

China is fast reshaping both domestically & globally the human, economic & political landscape. Having said all the foregoing, China with two-thirds of the world’s population & eighty percent of the world’s economy, will no doubt have both the ability & capacity to lead, transform & reshape the global economy. President Xi Jinping’s wise initiative & foresight in implementing the One Belt & One Road is a definite good move in the right direction. With the establishment of  the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a new multilateral financial institution designed to bring countries together to address the daunting  task ahead.

It is predicted that by 2020 China will be number one in the world. At G20 Summit, Hangzhou 2016, it showed that

G7 has no right to represent the World’s Economy. List of countries by foreign-exchange reserves.

RankG20 CountryMillions in $USMember of  G7
1 China3,305,445
2 Japan1,262,509Japan
3 Saudi Arabia555,000
4 Russia398,200
5 South Korea369,840
6 India367,169
7 Brazil362,200
8 Germany200,394Germany
9 Mexico179,708
10 United Kingdom164,003United Kingdom
11 France153,890France
12 Italy143,183Italy
13 United States121,269United States
14 Turkey112,769

…

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Why Visit China

On By PaulLeave a comment

Paul Chong Saturday, 8 August 2015

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China is an ancient country rich in culture, traditions & history. No other country comes close to compare. Other civilisations have come & gone, but Chinese civilisation has persisted through the test of time – a five thousand odd years of sustained civilisation – undiminished & virtually isolated from the rest of the world, only really opening up during the last 30 odd years.
Free of bureaucracy & red tape, transformation of the country’s economy & social landscape moves on rapidly. China still retains its ancient past, its mysterious wonderland amidst its modernity. Everything is humungous as with its ancient Great Wall, Yangtze Three Gorges Dam & the Grand Canal. Modern technology has seen the growth of super speed rail, urbanisation & the building of super cities known as megalopolis with population ranging from 42 million (Pearl River Delta region) to
130 million in Jing-Jin-ji (amalgamation of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei) – six times the size of NYC. Can you imagine that nearly a third of the total US population to be living there. All in all there will 13 such megalopolis.
There’s no telling what will happen next.

The Chinese are living in a dynamic exciting While others stallcountry with happenings everywhere such as the revival of the Old Silk Road, the reestablishment of the Maritime Sea Route, the initiation of AIIB (Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank), theWinter Olympics in 2022, just some for mention. According to BHP-Billiton executives (Australia), China is building a city equivalent to the size of Sydney every 5 days. While others stall, China surges ahead. Soon it will be a country beyond recognition.

The focus of the world is on China and it will remain so for a long time to come. The West is looking to the East even as China prepares to march westward in an attempt to revive the ancient silk road- this time around on a scale never seen or imagined before. It is a herculean task and all continents are on board. No camels my friend, it is high-speed rails and other AIIB, OLD SILK ROAD, MARITIME SEA ROUTE, means of super transportation with turbo speed. Better grab a seat on the next available flight or whatever & rid your mind of whatever misconceptions you have about the real China. Often what you get from the western media are largely untrue. Experience for yourself the excitement awaiting you in all their splendour. Just don’t rely on hearsay, get the facts.

I hate to say that western media have been out to bash China and brainwash you. For example, talk about Chinese brands – until you enter mainland China, you would never believe that there are home grown brands that are far superior in quality than some popular foreign brands. To name just a few – there is Haier, TCL, Midea, and Konka, and that’s just in electronics and home appliances. There is one reason why some of these brands find it difficult reaching your doorstep. Ask your commissions and regulators. Either they’re damn scared of competition or probably they want you to keep your job.

One of the challenges facing China is the ability to create jobs for the growing number of graduates the country’s universities churn out each year, semester after semester, millions of students. But hey, there’s always room for another foreigner. Jobs abound in the expat employment industry and the government is constantly reducing the threshold to attract foreign talents. Be it SOE’s or private organisations, there are jobs for foreigners willing to abide by the laws and regulations of the land. It’s now Chinese Dreams in the playing field.

You’ve never seen so many Chinese all at once. With a population of 1.4 billion China harbours almost a quarter of the world’s population.. China is an adventurer’s wonderland. Forget the Great Wall, enter deep into the hinterlands. Visitors would be blown at the sheer number of national parks in China. Within the 28 provinces that made up China, there are approximately 225 national parks officially recognized by the government. They’re huge landmasses managed by professional conservationists all for your viewing pleasure. Even locals have a hard time choosing where to visit on holidays.

Top on the list are parks in Yunnan, Sichuan, Anhui and those in Hunan province. Most of these parks are relatively unknown to expats living in China because of the remoteness of the regions. Quite a number of these parks are UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites. They include the Three Parallel Rivers, the Stone Forest in Kunming, and the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain National Parks of Yunnan.

Other famous parks include the Wulingyuan Zhangjiajie National Park- described as China’s Avatar, the Zhangjiajie National Park is a popular tourist destination in Hunan. It is home to striking sandstone and quarts cliffs which inspired the fictional world of Pandora in James Cameron’s movie, Avatar. The Jiuhaigou National Park – located in the Jiuhai Valley; it is home to nine Tibetan villages where over 220 bird species as well as a number of endangered plant and animal species including giant pandas, Sichuan golden monkeys are protected.

Huangshan
Huangshan  The Huangshan National Park is home to the legendary Yellow Mountains. Surrounded in the myths of ancient immortals, the Yellow Mountains have some strange charming geomorphology.We were there some years ago in winter & it was freezing that the cable cars stopped operation. We were forced to descend by the narrow stepped way with spikes attached to our shoes because the steps were iced over.

Most visitors to China shouldn’t encounter any problem with language. English is understood & spoken among the Chinese now. When we first set foot in China in 1989, the hotels then were first class, mostly in the five-star category. Now there are available more classes of hotels with modern sanitation. No fear of ancient toilets that used to put tourists off.

Almost every foreigner is a star. The Chinese are warm. Rest assured you’ll be welcomed & well treated.
Don’t attempt to change China, for China will change you instead!

Beijing’s Megalopolis: Jing-Jin-Ji

On By PaulLeave a comment

 

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Beijing has become the first city to be awarded both Summer (2008) and recently announced Winter Olympics (2022). Everything about China is either premier first or super big & colossal like The Grand Canal, The Great Wall of China & Yangtze Three-Gorges Dam. Now what’s this about Jing-jin-Ji?

In China, megacities or supercities are a dime a dozen. But Beijing’s Megalopolis is not a new supercity that has organically emerged from the Chinese countryside. It’s actually three very large cities that are being forced to merge together to, bizarrely, reduce the size of one of them: Beijing.

Beijing is already bursting at the seams with around 21 million people, and 600,000 more pour into this city every year.
The capital has developed on steroids over the past 30 years, and the growth has brought with it the typical problems that come with a huge metropolitan.
To alleviate Beijing’s urban problems, solutions have been discussed & conceived as far back as 1980. The rapidity with which the Chinese government implement its decided projects is unimaginably awesome & unbelievable.

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China’s new megalopolis, Jing-Jin-Ji, would be bigger than Uruguay & more populous than Germany & Vietnam or 6 times the size of New York City. As large as one-third the population of US or the size of the State of Kansas will be living there. This megalopolis in China is so big it’s estimated to be the size of 17 Sydneys and, once complete, will be home to 130 million people.

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While the massive project, which will see Beijing, the port city of Tianjin and the Hebei hinterland region connected by high speed rail, began two years ago, Chinese authorities have been talking about creating it for more than a decade.
China already has two megaregions in the south, the Yangtze River Delta (south of the Yangtze River) and the Pearl River Delta (which comprises of nine cities including Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macau), and has plans to create ten more, but Jing-Jin-Ji (“Jing” for Beijing, “Jin” for Tianjin and “Ji,” the traditional name for Hebei Province) is considered different because it was born out of political pressure rather than economic prosperity.

The combined economic output of Jing-Jin-Ji surpassed 6 trillion yuan ($970 billion) in 2014, accounting for about 10.9% of the country’s total GDP.

“It will happen,” associate professor Duanfang Lu, an expert in urban planning, said. “Especially now with China’s high speed trains. I think like a lot of things that involve large investment, as long as the central government is determined to achieve that it will be achieved.”

President Xi Jinping has promised “economic reform”and is pushing forward with the megacity and plans to construct new subway lines and update existing highways to handle the congestion.

The Jing-Jin-Ji region will encompass 82,000 square miles that link Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province. A high-speed rail will make commutes between the cities no more than an hour.

In July 2015, the South China Morning Post reported that the integration of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei would be the “signature project” of Xi Jinping’s administration . . . undoubtedly a tremendous showpiece for the world at large.

“The plan assigns specific economic roles to the cities,” according to the Times. “Beijing is to focus on culture and technology. Tianjin will become a research base for manufacturing. Hebei’s role is largely undefined, although the government recently released a catalog of minor industries, such as wholesale textile markets, to be transferred from Beijing to smaller cities.

China’s ambitious plan to transform Beijing and its surrounding areas into a 130 million-person “megalopolis” — a metro area six times larger than New York City — is beginning to take shape.

Paul Chong

A Chinese by Descent, An Australian by Consent

Saturdaay, 1 August 2015