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Ocean Flower Island: China's Unfinished Dream Becomes 'Dead Zone'

1/20/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Ocean Flower Island is a Dubai-inspired development in the South China Sea that remains unfinished, featuring a mall without shops and vacant housing blocks.
Zhou Qingbin described the site as a "dead zone."
The municipal government of Danzhou now manages the area and is grappling with its future.
Evergrande developed the project before it collapsed with about $300 billion in debt in 2021, undermining confidence in China's real estate sector.

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Story summary

Ocean Flower Island is a Dubai-inspired development in the South China Sea that remains unfinished, featuring a mall without shops and vacant housing blocks.
Zhou Qingbin described the site as a "dead zone."
The municipal government of Danzhou now manages the area and is grappling with its future.
Evergrande developed the project before it collapsed with about $300 billion in debt in 2021, undermining confidence in China's real estate sector.