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This article was first published 13 years ago

China's doom story: The signs of a downfall

Last updated on: December 15, 2011 12:08 IST

Image: A farmer carries a shovel over his shoulder as he walks to tend his crops in a field that includes an abandoned building, that was to be part of an amusement park called Wonderland.
Photographs: David Gray/Reuters.

Among its various records, China now has the world's largest vacant malls, empty cities, and stalled amusement parks.

Wonderland was slated to be Asia's biggest theme park. Spread across a sprawling 100-acre plot of land on the outskirts of capital city, Beijing, it was modelled on the lines of the famous Disneyworld in the United States.

However, as farmers and government disagreed over property prices, the construction was stopped in 1998. The efforts to build it again is 2008 also failed.

Today, remains of a castle and several pavilions remain in the land in Chenzhuang village.
As sales of residential property dropped for the third month in November, there are big worries on a real estate crash in China.

The world fastest growing economy has tough times ahead as it faces a realty doom.

Click NEXT to see China's wonderland in doom...


China's doom story: The signs of a downfall

Image: The entrance to an abandoned building leads into a derelict amusement park called 'Wonderland', on the outskirts of Beijing.
Photographs: David Gray/Reuters.

With local governments often dependent on land sales to fund payments on a staggering 10.7 trillion yuan ($1.7 trillion) of debt, Beijing worries that a collapsing property market will trigger a wave of defaults that in turn will hit the banks.

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Tags: , China , Beijing

China's doom story: The signs of a downfall

Image: A farmer carries a shovel over his shoulder as he walks through an abandoned building, that was to be part of an amusement park called 'Wonderland', to tend his crops on the outskirts of Beijing.
Photographs: David Gray/Reuters.

More worrisome, the property market, which contributes about 10 percent of Chinese growth and drives activity in 50 other sectors, could drag the real economy to a hard landing, says Reuters.

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Tags: , Reuters , China

China's doom story: The signs of a downfall

Image: A view of abandoned buildings.
Photographs: David Gray/Reuters.

A view of abandoned buildings that were to be part of an amusement park called 'Wonderland', on the outskirts of Beijing.

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Tags: , China , Beijing

China's doom story: The signs of a downfall

Image: Abandoned wonderland.

A crack is seen in a footpath leading to an abandoned building that was to be part of an amusement park called 'Wonderland', on the outskirts of Beijing.

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Tags: , China , Beijing

China's doom story: The signs of a downfall

Image: A view of a vacant carpark.

A view of a vacant carpark in front of abandoned buildings that were to be part of an amusement park called 'Wonderland', on the outskirts of Beijing.

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Tags: , China , Beijing

China's doom story: The signs of a downfall

Image: Writing on a gate tells people to be responsible for your actions.
Photographs: David Gray/Reuters.

Writing on a gate tells people to "be responsible for your actions" when entering an abandoned building that was to be part of an amusement park called 'Wonderland'.

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Tags: , China

China's doom story: The signs of a downfall

Image: An abandoned building that was to be part of an amusement park.
Photographs: David Gray/Reuters.

An abandoned building that was to be part of an amusement park called 'Wonderland', on the outskirts of Beijing.

...

Tags: , China , Beijing

China's doom story: The signs of a downfall

Image: Abandoned buildings.

A view of abandoned buildings that were to be part of an amusement park called 'Wonderland', on the outskirts of Beijing.

...

Tags: , China , Beijing

China's doom story: The signs of a downfall

Image: Abandoned buildings.

Cracks are seen in a carpark in front of abandoned buildings that were to be part of an amusement park called 'Wonderland'

...

Tags: , China

China's doom story: The signs of a downfall

Image: Footsteps in fresh snow are seen across a walkway.

Footsteps in fresh snow are seen across a walkway leading to the entrance of a derelict amusement park called 'Wonderland', on the outskirts of Beijing.

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Tags: , China , Beijing

China's doom story: The signs of a downfall

Image: Tree branches line an entrance into an abandoned building.
Photographs: David Gray/Reuters.

Tree branches line an entrance into an abandoned building that was to be part of an amusement park called 'Wonderland', on the outskirts of Beijing.

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Tags: , China , Beijing

a's doom story: The signs of a downfall

Image: A building in the shape of a castle stands uncompleted in a field.
Photographs: David Gray/Reuters.

A building in the shape of a castle stands uncompleted in a field in what would have been an amusement park called 'Wonderland', on the outskirts of Beijing.

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Tags: , Beijing

China's doom story: The signs of a downfall

Image: A sign warning people about potential poisons in the soil.
Photographs: David Gray/Reuters.

A sign warning people about potential poisons in the soil is pasted on a pillar of an abandoned building that was to be part of an amusement park called 'Wonderland'.

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Tags: , China

China's doom story: The signs of a downfall

Image: Abandoned building in Wonderland.

An abandoned building is seen through an entrance leading into what would have been an amusement park called 'Wonderland', on the outskirts of Beijing

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Tags: , China

China's doom story: The signs of a downfall

Image: David Gray/Reuters.

The steel frame of an abandoned building stands in what would have been an amusement park called 'Wonderland', on the outskirts of Beijing.

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Tags: , China , Beijing

China's doom story: The signs of a downfall

Image: Wonderland.

A view of an entrance to an abandoned building which leads into a derelict amusement park called 'Wonderland', on the outskirts of Beijing.

...

Tags: , China , Beijing

China's doom story: The signs of a downfall

Image: Farmers dismantle a tower in a field.
Photographs: David Gray/Reuters.

Farmers dismantle a tower in a field that includes abandoned buildings that were to be part of an amusement park called 'Wonderland', on the outskirts of Beijing.

Tags: China , Beijing