There’s a city located in Malaysia that was originally built to fit a population of 700,000 residents.
Forest City was developed by Chinese company Country Garden, part of their Belt and Road Initiative project that began in 2016.
A whopping £80billion was spent on building the community, with aims to construct an eco-friendly and modern landscape.
Despite the big plans, only around 9,000 people have moved to Forest City since the work began several years ago, according to the Express.
It even has a waterpark, restaurants and bars, as well as a golf course, but remains mostly unoccupied.
There was a change in China‘s capital controls in 2017, just one year after the development started, and this led to a drop in investment and issues with completing the work, according to LadBible.
Only around 15 per cent has been completed as of last year.
Nazmi Hanafiah moved to the city for six months and lived in a one-bedroom flat in a tower block.
Forest City was developed by Chinese company Country Garden their Belt and Road Initiative project that started in 2016
A whopping £80billion was spent on building the community, with aims to construct an eco-friendly and modern landscape. Pictured: A shopping complex in Forest City
Drone photograph of apartment blocks and other facilities in the Forest City special financial zone in Iskandar Puteri, Johor state, Malaysia
It even has a waterpark, restaurants and bars, as well as a golf course, but remains mostly unoccupied. Pictured: A general view shows condominiums at Forest City
However, he didn’t stay for long and told the BBC: ‘I didn’t care about my deposit, I didn’t care about the money. I just had to get out.’
The IT engineer described Forest City as a ‘ghost town’ and said: ‘I’m getting goosebumps just being back.’
Another resident, Joanne Kaur, told the news outlet: ‘This place is eerie. Even during the day, when you step out of your front door the corridor is dark.’
The city is made up of four islands that span across 30 km sq, according to the Forest City’s website.
It continues: ‘The newly-built Forest City will be a smart and green futuristic city that combines environment, technology and cutting-edge technology to create an ideal, idyllic and technology-driven living and working space ecosystem.’
Country Garden told the BBC it was ‘optimistic’ the city would be completed despite any issues.
There are ‘eerie’ locations much closer to home, including an abandoned Pleasure Island, in Cleethorpes.
The city is made up of four islands that span across 30 km sq, according to the Forest City’s website
Despite the big plans, only around 9,000 people have moved to Forest City since the work began several years ago
Country Garden told the BBC it was ‘optimistic’ the city would be completed despite any issues. Pictured: An office tower in Forest City
Residential towers of Forest City in Iskandar Puteri, Malaysia, on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024
Pleasure Island was split into six areas – Africa, Morocco, Old England, Spain, Kiddies Kingdom, and White Knuckle Valley – and had plenty of thrillseeking rides, including Alakazam, Terror Rack and Gravitron.
It shut up shop in 2016 after 23 years and the once-popular theme park has been left to decay.
The rides were sold in October 2018, but the majority of the buildings still remain intact to this day.
From rides left completely set up with all of their decor, to arcades with machines still inside, the theme park has a range of structures still standing.
