Home » Opinion » Press Notes
Cities hit new low in striving to go higher
By People's Daily, online edition |
March 1, 2012, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
IN contrast to man's well-documented height phobia (acrophobia), Chinese cities have developed a height fetish - they race against each other to go higher and higher.
On February 26, the Greenland Group, a real estate developer, confirmed that it would "upgrade" its Greenland Center under construction in Wuhan, Hubei Province, to make it the tallest building in China.
The Greenland Center in Wuhan was originally planned to be 606 meters high, which would make it the second-highest in China and the third highest in the world. But now the center wants to surpass the Shanghai Center slated to be 632 meters high.
There's no highest; higher is the only choice. In Chinese cities' unbridled race to go higher and higher, there's no full stop, only one comma after another.
What's in it, after all? Does the tallest building in China or in the world mean anything important to a local economy or to people's level of happiness?
You might have the tallest building, but can it take you to the moon?
So crazy are those height-hungry cities that they have totally ignored the huge costs of high-rises, to say nothing of the beauty of a low skyline.
Many countries have reflected upon the stupidity of high-rises, especially since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on New York's Twin Towers. What a shame that many Chinese cities still trap themselves in height fetish.
On February 26, the Greenland Group, a real estate developer, confirmed that it would "upgrade" its Greenland Center under construction in Wuhan, Hubei Province, to make it the tallest building in China.
The Greenland Center in Wuhan was originally planned to be 606 meters high, which would make it the second-highest in China and the third highest in the world. But now the center wants to surpass the Shanghai Center slated to be 632 meters high.
There's no highest; higher is the only choice. In Chinese cities' unbridled race to go higher and higher, there's no full stop, only one comma after another.
What's in it, after all? Does the tallest building in China or in the world mean anything important to a local economy or to people's level of happiness?
You might have the tallest building, but can it take you to the moon?
So crazy are those height-hungry cities that they have totally ignored the huge costs of high-rises, to say nothing of the beauty of a low skyline.
Many countries have reflected upon the stupidity of high-rises, especially since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on New York's Twin Towers. What a shame that many Chinese cities still trap themselves in height fetish.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
