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Chinese Village Constructing World’s 15th Tallest Building

Often regarded as the “Number 1 Village in China“, the Huaxi village in Jiangyin [Jiangsu Province] is the richest village in China with average per capita income several times that of the national average. Heralded as a successful example of a communist style commune, the transformation of Huaxi village was the brainchild of former village Party Secretary Wu Renbao who along with his sons created a prosperous community modeled on both communism and capitalism. The recent construction of a 328m or 1076ft tall skyscraper in Huaxi village led to some netizens questioning the huge costs associated with its construction especially in a rural village. While others believed Huaxi village could be a model of development for villages across China.

From Tiexue:

“Designed in accord with a 5-star hotel standard, with a construction area of 200,000 square meters, it can accommodate more than 2000 residents, with a dining capacity of 3000, and having the largest 360 degree revolving restaurant in Asia. Inside the building contain 35 elevators, with speeds of 10 meter per second, the fastest in the world, in addition to having the world’s most advanced monitoring and fire safety equipment.”

You must be having a hard time imagining that a “socialist new village” is building this soon-to-be completed luxury tower. In Jiangyin Huaxi village, this building with height ranked number 8 in China, and number 15 in the world will be completed in June of this year.

January 3rd, the newly re-elected Huaxi village party secretary Wu Xie’en stated, this building designed with a height of 328 m and 74 floors will require an investment of RMB 2.5 billion, predicted to be operational by 2011 during the 50th anniversary of the village, by that time Huaxi will have a new landmark.

People marvel at the luxurious amenities in this building. Designed in accord with a 5-star hotel, with a construction area of 200,000 square meters, a total of 74 floors, height of 328 meters, and ranking 15th in the world by height, and 8th nationally.

2.5 billion will not “be detrimental” [not a big deal]

The tower can accommodate 2000 residents, 3000 simultaneous diners, and in addition, it has a 360 degree revolving restaurant that provides space for 500 guests, it will be the largest revolving restaurant in Asia.

The tower has five sky gardens with five levels in accordance with the Five Elements of Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth as each level’s theme. Inside contain 35 elevators, with speeds of faster than 10 meters per second, among the top in the world. The form of the tower will be the shape of a “Three-footed tripod”, the center will top out with a 50-meter sphere, as if it is a dazzling pearl.

The tower is also named “The new village in the sky” with a special meaning attached. Wi Xie’en said, “People’s impressions of rural villages were always low-rise buildings, now we must make a breakthrough, even rural villages can break this old impression and create a village in the sky.”

After investigation, this tower originally was planned to cost RMB 1.5 billion, but from the looks of the current situation, after renovations and decorations, it will cost at least RMB 2.5 billion to complete.

But this 2.5 billion will not be detrimental to the interests of Huaxi, Wu Xieen said, the towers investments are sound, because these 2.5 billion are not invested in a year, and Huaxi’s annual usable funds amounts to 3 billion RMB. Even if you invest it all in, it will still have 500 million remaining, it will not affect other investments in education, health care, etc.

200 villagers with high-income

Wu Xie’en described that Huaxi building this tower also included longer-term considerations, that this is the symbol of Huaxi stepping into the world stage, that “In the future it will attract people from all over the world to visit the Huaxi tower.” After his re-election, he will continue to adjust Huaxi’s productivity, Huaxi today have five major pillars of industry: agriculture, industry, commerce, construction, and tourism. In the future, more will be directed toward tertiary industry such as tourism.

As the tourism industry geared toward environmental awareness, it will be the major direction for Huaxi’s development. Today, those who visits Huaxi numbered as low as several thousand and as high as tens of thousands. “The completion of the tower will bring forth new attractions toward the tourism industry in Huaxi.

“The tower is also meant to save on land use and land resources.” Today the tower’s total area is around 200,000 square meters, can accommodate 2000 people, the related person in charge at Huaxi described, this is a dual-use residential and commercial tower, Huaxi village is not building mansions and high-rise buildings. After completion of the tower, over 200 village households will move into this building. If all these villagers build mansions, the required land would have been between 150mu to 200mu [1 mu= .1647 acres], while the entire footprint of the tower will not be more than 20mu.

After 200 villagers move in, they will enjoy 24-hour hotel style service; on average every household have 100 square meters of space. Of course, those 200 households who can move into this tower will have some financial basis, a related person in charge said, as they would be amongst Huaxi’s higher income levels, because these 200 households all invested 5 million in the construction of the building.

Will also use 6 billion to build a 118 floor skyscraper

“Huaxi is not building towers for the sake of building towers, we have this capacity,” Wu Xie’en said. Their development is reaching a new stage. In plans for the next 3 years, Huaxi will accumulate funds of 10 billion.

“After 2011, we will devote our attention to the construction of the ‘Huaxi Dragon Tower.’ This tower’s location is initially set in Jiangyin. The overall area will be 480,000 square meters; the construction area will be 600,000 square meters, with a total of 118 floors, 538 meters tall. Total investment amounts to RMB 6 billion, with 600 shares, 10 million RMB per share, Huaxi controlling 50% (300), with the other half coming from outside funds.”

This tower is prepared to take 12 years to complete (to be ready for use during the 60th anniversary of the village). The yearly investments only amount to 2.5 billion, “for Huaxi, this is nothing, and we can fully bear it.” Today, the tower is in the discussion stages. It is estimated the approval and design phase will take 1 year. Just the design costs will be over 100 million.

In addition, Huaxi will also introduce other major projects, a 71-meter (17 floors), 7 sided, multiple shaped tower called “Huaxi National Park”. “71 meters”, symbolizing “July 1st” founding of the Chinese Communist Party. “7” sides with each side having 8 doors, to form “seven times eight equals fifty-six” or the unity of the 56 ethnicities in China.

Comments on Tiexue:

z8c8g8:

I am proud of my hometown.

道无常道:

Compared to those “elites” who donated to Yale, this is better!

强盛吾华:

Huaxi don’t got any broken money, all you need to do is look at the accounts. They regard themselves as [following] communism, but this is just exploitation.

zrb180:

This cannot possibly cost 1.5 billion, our big underpants costs 10 billion.

wz735:

Looks like Huaxi’s leaders are only capable of these things; the Party’s directive did not enter their brain. They should go back home and start studying practical developments, studying Scientific Development!

nature282001:

Huaxi village really does have a lot of money, do you know how much the village’s annual industrial profit and tax income are? More than most counties in the central and western regions. Wu Renbao dared to secretly promote capitalism even before the Cultural Revolution, working during the day, organizing villagers to produce at night. I’m asking, are there any other villages at the time that dared to promote capitalism?? Do not think that Huaxi is not rich, they really do have money, the average household savings in banks are over millions, but all expenses have to be covered by the village as a whole, this is known as the commune, without the village then they have nothing. In reality Huaxi village depends on the steel factory close by to make money, everything else is fake, it all rely on this steel factory.

hbxflh:

Huaxi village should be the pride of Chinese villages, they are different from those corrupt officials using privileges to trade for profits, and are not part of the tobacco, communication industries that monopolizes and exploit the people. Moreover, it is not part of the black society engaged in prostitution, drugs, and smuggling, Huaxi village owes its success to being the first to ride the tide of economic reform, in addition to having those leaders who possess strong insights. If half of the counties and cities in China all have a village like Huaxi, or if there are 100 villages similar to Huaxi, then the day of the resurgence of the Chinese nation is close, China will become the envy of the world.

hiyung:

I don’t look fondly at Huaxi’s model, those who are attracted to Huaxi are all looking at the superficial side, and do not see the essence inside. What is the requirement to receive a house and a car, where are the millions in saving saved at, how much of it can you spend? No matter how much wealth, how much savings, without the ability to allocate it then it is all just up in the clouds, Huaxi people’s money are all on paper, who knows what is really entailed. Just like this skyscraper, who knows how many villages wanted to invest in it, it is just a bunch of high-level leaders taking by themselves. I am afraid if the “big boat” of Huaxi only day topples over, then how much of people’s blood money will be lost.

xiefei0000:

Truly the road toward communism, a testament to great leader’s thoughts!

413361440:

Wu Xie’en??? That princeling. We in Jiangyin all know he lost money in Macao, we know that the truly wealthy are the villages around Huaxi. Huaxi without the old party secretary [Wu Renbao] would not last long. He can only brag about it abroad, I cannot believe there are people in Jiangyin who brag with him.

Comments on NetEase:

网易广东佛山网友:

Karl Marx’s philosophy has no faults, the fault lies in the decisions of the leaders.

网易北京朝阳网友:

From the whole country to a little village, following the path of hereditary rule, [Wu Xie’en is the son of Party Cadre Wu Renbao], I do not see a future in this. Does Huaxi not have any others to be the leader? Huaxi village building a skyscraper, other than to add face and increase carbon emissions, what other good are there?

网易重庆网友:

This can be considered the most niu bi village!

网易江苏南京网友:

Spending billions constructing buildings, but don’t have the money to construct the nation’s poor areas, aye, I have nothing to say.

网易江苏南京网友:

Motherfucker, have money and nowhere to spend it, open your eyes and look at all the places in China where people sleep outside and freeze to death, are you still Chinese? What is so niu bi about building such a tall building? If people have nothing to eat, they still die.

网易上海网友:

Fully realized the goals of socialism, Huaxi village is very prosperous. I hope we can be like them too.

网易江西九江网友:

Today’s people are all crazy, even a village is constructing a Dubai tower.

网易北京网友:

A nation without faith [spiritual] is like this, besides the material enjoyment, there is only materialism.

网易广东东莞网友:

Wait for a 9.0 earthquake, flatten these corrupt profiteers!!!

网易福建福州网友:

A false prosperity, without the outside support from the government of various loans, Huaxi village wouldn’t exist.

Towers erected for less than 2.5 billion RMB. chinaSMACK personals.

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Written by Joe

Joe is a documentary producer and journalist based in Shanghai

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