China is building one of the world's tallest skyscrapers - take a look

Shimao Group

A rendering of the Shimao Shenzhen-Hong Kong International Centre in Shenzhen, China.

• In China, construction has begun on Shimao Shenzhen-Hong Kong International Centre, which could become the world's second largest skyscraper.
• At 2,191 feet tall, it will surpass the Shanghai Tower.
• The project builds on Shenzhen's urban development boom.

Chinese cities have some of the world's tallest skyscrapers, including the 1,965-foot-tall Ping An Finance Centre in Shenzhen, the 1,739-foot-tall CTF Finance Centre in Guangzhou, and the 1,732-foot-tall China Zun tower in Beijing.

More recently. construction began on the mega-tall Shimao Shenzhen-Hong Kong International Centre in Shenzhen.

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At 2,191 feet tall, it could become the second tallest skyscraper in the world when it opens in 2024. (The even taller Dubai One Tower is also currently under construction.) As Dezeen notes, both high rises will surpass the 2,073-foot-tall Shanghai Tower, which currently holds the title of world's second tallest skyscraper.

Shimao Group, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong International Centre's developer, is not releasing many design details yet, but China Daily reports that the firm has invested about $7.5 billion in the project. It will have a floor surface area of over 3.4 million square feet.

The tower will be part of a larger complex that includes apartments, offices, a startup incubator, hotels, shopping centers, international schools, and a convention center in Shenzhen's Longgang district.

The project builds on the city's urbanization boom, which began in 1979 when China opened itself to capitalism and foreign investment. Shenzhen - a formerly poor fishing community of just 30,000 people - was the first city the country chose to rapidly develop.

Since then, the city has transformed into one of China's largest tech hubs and epicenters of high-rise development. In 2017, Shenzhen completed more skyscrapers than any other city in the world. By some estimates, Shenzhen's population now exceeds 12.5 million, making it one of the fastest growing megacities.