A Surreal Skateboarding Journey Through China’s Infamous Ghost Town
Director Charles Lanceplaine follows a group of skaters looking to try their tricks in a new and different environment — only to discover a glittering, modern city devoid of human occupants.
Originally built to house one million residents, the city of Ordos in northern China is now almost completely deserted. Despite China’s much-lauded building boom, soaring property prices have kept occupants at bay. Ordos is now the largest ghost town in China — thought to be a stark example of China’s impending real estate bubble.
Exploring the American Idea since 1857. Run by Chris Heller and Alessandra Ram The Atlantic Twitter In Focus From the Archives
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October 15, 2012
October 9, 2012
In Focus: The Great Wall of China
Beginning in the 7th century BC, a series of massive defensive fortifications were constructed along China’s northern border. Built to protect China from northern attacks, the walls stretched out for thousands of kilometers, many joining together to become the Great Wall of China. Over several centuries, the wall and thousands of supporting structures were built across mountains, deserts, and rivers, eventually stretching more than 20,000 kilometers in length. Sections of the wall near large cities are well-maintained, but many remote areas are slowly being reclaimed by nature. Gathered here are images of the Great Wall over the years, from its westernmost pass at Jiayuguan to where it meets the sea in Qinhuangdao.
See more. [Images: Reuters, AP, Getty]
October 1, 2012
In Focus: The Last Maoist Village in China
In Nanjie Village, locals still wake to loudspeakers blaring “The East Is Red,” the classic anthem of People’s Republic of China during the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s. Nanjie, with more than 3,100 residents, is touted as one of the last models of communist China, where the principles of the late Chairman Mao still strictly guide the people’s daily lives. In the 1980s, when the rest of China was introducing market reforms, Nanjie went the other direction, collectivizing its farms and industries. Aside from free housing, healthcare, food rations and education, locals working in the village’s factories receive an average salary of 2,500 yuan (about $400 USD). Reuters photographer Jason Lee recently traveled to Nanjie, coming back with the photographs below.
See more. [Images: Reuters/Jason Lee]
September 25, 2012
![Is There Really a Global Bacon Shortage?
Not really. But there is a Chinese strategic pork reserve.
[Image: Reuters]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_maxa8cr0yq1qcokc4o1_1280.jpg)
Is There Really a Global Bacon Shortage?
Not really. But there is a Chinese strategic pork reserve.
[Image: Reuters]
September 24, 2012
September 19, 2012
![Leon Panetta Is Very Happy About This Commemorative Plate
[Image: Defense Department]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mam21yiaiJ1qcokc4o1_1280.jpg)
September 17, 2012
In Focus: Anti-Japan Protests in China
A long-standing conflict over the sovereignty of a group of eight tiny, uninhabited islands in the East China Sea has resulted in dozens of anti-Japanese protests across China, some violent. The dispute came to a head after the Japanese government nationalized control of three of the largest islands earlier this month, purchasing them from a private Japanese family for more than US$25 million. The island group is called Senkaku Islands by the Japanese, Diaoyu Islands by the Chinese, Tiaoyutai Islands by Taiwanese, or the Pinnacle Islands by English speakers. Beyond national pride, potentially large gas reserves and fishing rights have raised the stakes, and China is now moving to assert its claim to the islands, contain the demonstrations at home, and respond forcefully to what it sees as a major Japanese provocation.
See more. [Images: AP, Reuters]
August 31, 2012
"Hollywood strongman Clint Eastwood appeared at the Republican National Convention today to support and warm the auditorium for Romney, and he was welcomed with enthusiasm. He excited the crowd with a famous line from Dirty Harry and made the audience very high."
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Chinese-language news reacts to Clint Eastwood’s speech.
(Sidenote: The Chinese translation for Dirty Harry literally means “an urgent arresting order”)
August 10, 2012
August 8, 2012
Let’s Talk About Why Aly Raisman Won
… She won because she is, as national coordinator Martha Karolyi says, the hardest worker on the team and she kept working even as some of her teammates coasted on earlier success. Even though she won wearing a leotard bejeweled with thousands of crystals, Raisman’s story is a simple one: hard work pays off in the end.
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Why removing the queerness of Gatsby matters
In one of the film’s stupidest choices, Nick ends up in a sanitarium after Gatsby’s death. His pure...
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an autobiography
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Attention All Photography Enthusiasts
Voting for our annual photo contest ends today! Browse through 50 stunning finalists and pick your...
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The loss of the Fung Wah bus service between Boston and New York inspired this parody: http://nyr.kr/XGaaWx
Lyrics and performance by Marc...
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Cinemas.
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In Nairobi Slum, Finding Safety In A Public Bathroom
by Julienne Gage“Step into Nairobi’s sprawling Kibera slum and it’s...
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Here’s today’s Daily GIF!
