Why does China have Entire “Ghost Cities” and People Advertising themselves for Dates in Public Parks?
By Jamie Mcintyre
Why does china have entire “ghost cities” and people advertising themselves for dates in public parks?
It’s all connected by a wild obsession with social status.
1. The dating market: In Shanghai parks, people post signs with phone numbers and family backgrounds to find partners because the shortage of women makes competition fierce.
2. Property = love: Owning at least two properties is a massive social status symbol; a man’s chances of finding a wife are much higher if he’s a multi-property owner.
3. The “free” apartment trap: Many ghost cities (like forest city) exist because developers gave away free secondary apartments to mainland buyers to drive sales.
While many of these developments remain 90% empty, some—like shanghai’s iconic new bund area—prove that even “ghost cities” can eventually transform into successful, bustling hubs.
