China built a $94 billion megacity from scratch in 7 years. They turned the corn fields into a metropolis three times the size of New York City. It has a train station the size of 88 football fields. But it's completely empty. This is why no one wants to live in President Xi's dream city: Credits to constantine_rm. Xiongan covers 772 square miles, three times the size of New York City. It was created to ease the pressure of Beijing's overpopulation, which exceeds 20 million people. In 2017, this was farmland and swamps. Today, it stands as a testament to China’s urban prowess: • One of the largest train stations in China • Modern office buildings • Luxury hotels Yet beneath this impressive facade lies a disturbing reality: The train station is the size of 88 football fields and can handle 100,000 passengers daily. However, when you visit, all you hear are the footsteps of the cleaning staff echoing through empty hallways. The contrast between ambition and reality is crazy. And here is the disturbing truth: Entire villages were destroyed to make way for this city. Thousands of residents were displaced from their homes. The government's response? They were relocated to newly constructed apartment buildings. Then, in 2023, something shocking happened: During the deadly floods, officials made the controversial decision to divert waters from Xiongan. Instead, the water flooded the neighboring villages where people actually lived. The reason? This city is Xi Jinping's personal project... Xi has staked his legacy on Xiongan's success, aiming to showcase China's prowess in urban planning. But the reality is that a city can't be forced into existence by sheer political will. And the numbers prove it: The government implemented strict controls to prevent speculation: • Limited types of businesses are permitted. • Total ban on real estate trading. • All housing is state-owned. • Strict price controls. But these controls had unintended consequences: Without a free market, there is no incentive for companies to set up here. Without companies, there are no jobs. Without jobs, people won’t come. It’s a vicious cycle that exposes the flaw in top-down urban planning: forcing development without organic growth leads to stagnation. You can build the infrastructure. You can build the buildings. But you can’t impose the organic growth that makes a city thrive. The human element is missing. And unlike other successful projects like Shenzhen: Xiongan is being built as China faces: • Decreased population growth • Disengaging from the West • Economic slowdown However, the government projects that in the coming decades, the city will host 5 million residents. But the reality is... Xiongan could become the most expensive ghost town in the world. A $93 billion monument to the limits of central planning. But there is an even more worrying implication: This project is too big to fail politically. Xi has invested too much of his reputation. This way, resources will continue to flow, regardless of the results. The human and economic costs will continue to rise. The lesson is clear: Inefficiency: Central planning often misallocates resources. Disconnected Growth: Top-down control ignores community needs. Wasted Resources: Huge investments may go to waste. Lack of Flexibility: Hard to adapt to unforeseen challenges. Long-Term Costs: Political investments can lead to unsustainable spending.