Surreal photos of China's failed 'city of the future'

Raphael Olivier

The once flush-with-cash town of Ordos, China, has been called the world's largest ghost town.

In the early 2000s, a coal-mining boom led local government to throw money at urban development there, in the hopes of creating a new epicenter of culture, economy, and politics.

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Ordos New Town, also known as Kangbashi, would hold 1 million residents and be known for its massive abstract architecture projects, residential towers, and state-of-the-art sports venues. (Developers later scaled back the concept-city to accommodate 300,000 residents.)

But high property taxes and poor construction deterred people from settling in Ordos. In 2016, some 100,000 people lived and worked there - leaving the city two-thirds empty.

"The whole city feels like a post-apocalyptic space station straight out of a science fiction movie," says photographer Raphael Olivier, who captured the city in a series titled, "Ordos - A Failed Utopia."

Olivier shared some of his spectacular images with us. You can check out more on his website.