19.China to Flatten 700 Mountains to Build a City

http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/12/08/china-to-flatten-700-mountains-to-build-a-city/?iid=nf-article-trend-now

 About a month ago, China announced that the city of Changsha would try to build the world’s tallest skyscraper in 90 day. Now they have some more surprising news. China is planning on flattening 700 mountains to build a city. The project was actually launched in October. This project is not only huge but very expensive. 3.5 billion dollars are needed to blow up 700 mountains to make room for a city in a poor monotonous region. According to China Economic Weekly magazine, the country’s state council approved the plan in August after some years of preparation. The city, called the Lanzhou New Area, will be built on the outskirts of Lanzhou which is the capital of Gansu province. China Pacific Construction Group, the company behind the project, hopes to create an urban paradise. The city sounds magnificent but Lanzhou is one of the most polluted areas in China. With so much pollution, experts wonder if the project is environmentally doable. Gansu is also plagued by sandstorms due to its desert surroundings. However, the China Pacific Construction Group says there is nothing to worry about. A spokesperson told the Guardian “Lanzhou’s environment is already really poor, it’s all desolate mountains which are extremely short of water…Our protective style of development will divert water to the area, achieve reforestation and make things better than before.”



The author of the article Regina Wang informs people on a recent and big construction project. She provides background information as well as information on some of the surrounding areas. A video is also provides for the reader. Quotes from China Pacific Construction, the group behind the project, are given. Speculations and worries from the World Health Organization as well as other are discussed in the article. Wang gives many other outside sources, like the China Daily, on the story.