Buildings in China hardly survive 30 years before they are torn down to make way for new projects. Governments which spend big on construction projects to display their achievements are to blame for the huge waste.
Buildings with a total floor area of 2 billion square meters are put up each year, the largest in the world. The country consumes 40 percent of the world's cement and steel while the structures only last 25-30 years on average, far short of those in the West, yesterday's China Youth Daily quoted Qiu Baoxing, deputy director of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.
The average life of buildings in Britain, France and the United States stands at 132, 85 and 80 years, respectively.
Zhao Yongming, a 76-year-old resident of Shenyang City, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, has witnessed the demolition of several "young" buildings.
Wulihe Stadium which cost 250 million yuan (US$39 million) was knocked down in 2007, 18 years after it was built. A 15-year-old landmark water amusement center was blown up in 2009.
The list of young buildings destroyed across China is long. Gloria Plaza Hotel in Beijing was torn down in July 2010, and several million yuan was invested to renovate the hotel just one year ago.
These buildings couldn't dodge the wrecking ball because of the aimless pursuit of GDP to showcase the government's achievements, Fan Bonai, a professor with Zhejiang University, told the newspaper. "The short-lived buildings seriously tarnish the image of the government."
City plans are changed each time a new governor or mayor takes office. Buildings which were once promoted as landmarks are sacrificed during the process, causing a huge waste of public fund and resources, the report said.
Experts are calling for the introduction of public opinion and transparency for large-scale construction projects. (Shanghai Daily/China Youth International)
