Why does China has Entire "Ghost Cities" and People Advertising themselves for Dates in Pu

Mon, 11 May 2026 07:54:30 +0000

⁣Why does china has 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.

Source: https://x.com/jamiemcintyre21/....status/2052692386304