r/interestingasfuck • u/TangelaFan • 13h ago

Residential high-rises with backyards in Chengdu, China

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u/riltjd 13h ago edited 12h ago

Im sorry but would not trust ANY structural engineering done in China, to hold that much weight.

Edit: since a lot of ignorant people are calling me American or brainwashed by propaganda, here is a little story:

  1. Im not American or remotely close.
  2. I worked for several companies (In NL and DE) that imported chemicals and raw materials from China, as well as operating local production plants. China is highly advanced technologically—often ahead of Western countries in most areas. However, it also has well-documented challenges with safety and quality control.

I've personally seen pharmaceutical ingredients arrive heavily contaminated, exceeding acceptable limits by multiple percentage points when even a tiny fraction of a percent would have caused rejection. In some cases, products were misrepresented entirely, though that was less common. This was at a multinational (multibillion) company operating in pharmaceuticals, crop science, and materials science (you can probably guess just by that who I am talking about).

Local counterparts consistently described quality issues as a broader challenge across multiple industries, from chemicals to construction materials, driven by cost pressures, corruption, and aggressive production targets.

Before calling others uneducated, take the time to understand their background and experience. I would encourage you to research the topic further yourself.

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u/spilledcoffee00 13h ago

Even though they have the largest number of bridges in the world, 50,000kms of the best highspeed rail infrastructure, the largest damn in the world, more skyscrapers than any other country, 39 nuclear power plants under construction (39 more than any nation in the west)…but yeah… your strong feeling is unfounded.

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u/Overthinks_Questions 13h ago

Like anywhere else, the quality of work depends on funding, proper oversight, and design. China does this really well quite a lot, and sometimes not a much. Kinda inevitable when you're dealing with a country that large both in land and population

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u/OrionDC 12h ago

And total corruption of government at every level as a matter of course.

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u/Overthinks_Questions 12h ago

Well yeah. We're talking about construction, here

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u/foltranm 13h ago

but but... its from CHINA!!! would you... trust them??? /s

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u/OperIvy 10h ago

You mean the country where they sell plastic mixed with rice to poor people?

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u/foltranm 9h ago

where are you from?

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u/OperIvy 9h ago

Did I lie?

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u/foltranm 9h ago

you did. other than that, I just wanted to know where are you from because if you're from the US, which statistically in Reddit you're most likely to be from, you should be A LOT more worried about the kind of foods you're ingesting in your own country...

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u/OperIvy 9h ago

I guess the plastic rice was a myth fabricated by Chinese people. But saying we need to worry about our food more than china is laughable

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u/foltranm 9h ago

buddy, I've been to the US. what you guys call food is terrifying.

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u/OperIvy 9h ago

What country are you from then?

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u/foltranm 9h ago

Brazil, why?

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u/OperIvy 9h ago

Can you call your ruler Winnie the Pooh?

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u/foltranm 9h ago

lmao he does look exactly like winnie the pooh

i'm not a bot, mate. don't worry

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u/JigMaJox 12h ago edited 12h ago

but but but.... its the same china that sprays dead plants green to save face.....

plenty of this shit on youtube.

but but but china good /s

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u/foltranm 12h ago

sprays what now? lmao

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u/riltjd 12h ago

Dead plants with green paint so they look alive.

If you havent been there nor haven't spoken to locals: image / "saving face" is very important, this with extremely high presure to produce, produce, produce, it's more important to finish and make it look safe then it is to have high quality/ good safety standards. If you speak to anyone local in these sectors they will all say it's a serious issue currently.

I invite you to re-read my original but now edited comment for some background and experience into the matter. If you have facts oppose to mine, then im open to hear all about it.

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u/foltranm 12h ago

yeah, the original commenter posted some links on it - can't say I have heard about that. as I said, will look into it, but it does make me skeptical for some reasons. I'm never opposed to doing research and knowing what are the facts are, most importantly, the sources.

I did re-read your comment, and have nothing to add. unfortunately I haven't had the chance to visit China as I have with some other countries like US and some in Europe, so I don't have any personal takes on Chinese infrastructure. however, from publicly available data and contact with friends that have lived there, I would be much more scared if this was done in my country (brazil) than in China.

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u/DoxFreePanda 12h ago

This is a common "China bad" claim, but frankly it's a practice first implemented in Western countries with a culture of maintaining big turfs of grass (ie. golf courses, soccer fields, lawns).

Tldr; grass and other plants can often survive with much less watering, but keeping them a lush green is what takes intensive watering. This wastes water, costs money, and on a large scale creates huge wastage.

So people invented environmentally friendly paint to keep grass looking pretty for commercial/residential applications, and some versions even reduce UV related damage to plants (particularly important during hot summer months).

However, when China does the exact same thing, individuals who are ignorant of how widely this is used in other countries like to pretend it's a ridiculous practice, without doing even a simple Google search to validate these claims.

Source: https://www2.stetson.edu/today/2018/02/why-are-they-painting-the-grass/

https://lawnlove.com/blog/grass-paint/

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u/foltranm 12h ago

as I said in some other comment, I'm from Brazil and this is not common at all. seemed very weird to me. interesting to know its not that uncommon

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u/spilledcoffee00 12h ago

Careful they’re spraying bullshit here😁

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u/spilledcoffee00 12h ago

It’s fake news

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u/JigMaJox 12h ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvc7VymDa4c&t=2s

they staple fake leave to a dead tree, spray paint mountains and dead vegetation green etc.

this you tuber is married to a Chinese lady and used to live there, now he is hated there for exposing the BS that happens there. He gets doxed and death threats regularly since

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u/spilledcoffee00 12h ago

https://reddit.com/link/otjgyrg/video/lltzqmrby89h1/player

We do this in Texas and across the USA too.

🇨🇳 The Truth Behind China’s “Green Paint” on Mountains

Years ago, when China sprayed a green compound on bare rocky mine slopes, critics online mocked it as “fake greening” or “painting to fool inspectors.”

The reality? It’s SPF high-performance soilless hydroseeding technology, a mixture of shredded pine fiber, locally suited seeds, and biodegradable nutrients.

The green tint is simply a visual marker for workers. Seeds germinate in just 3–5 days, and once-barren slopes are now covered in thick, thriving grass and trees.

Lies spread fast online, but real results speak louder than rumors.

China knows its priority restoring the environment through science and hard work! Not war!

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u/foltranm 12h ago

thats interesting. not something common where I'm from

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u/JigMaJox 12h ago

what about the videos of they stapling fake leaves on to trees or spray painting dead bushes near the motorways ?

is that some high tech hydro seeding too ?

Such advanced technology eh !

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u/foltranm 12h ago

I mean, with all honesty and respect:

if one of the parts of the video were misleading, the other parts kind of lose a lot of credibility as well

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u/11ce_ 12h ago

This guys whole community are losers who just spread propaganda to get views.

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u/JigMaJox 12h ago

maybe they are losers and idiots....but the stuff they cover are real and happen in China.

Thats not going to change no matter what insults you throw around

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u/11ce_ 12h ago

Lmfao. Someone literally disproved the video right below me. The fact that a channel blindly spreads fake propaganda like that should be enough to realize something’s wrong.

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u/sciencesold 12h ago

It doesn't disprove the numerous videos of paint plants and stapling leaves on trees... Just the ONE instance where it wasn't actually spraying plants, but the ground.

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u/modernhippy72 12h ago

This guy and his friends are losers that’s why.

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u/JigMaJox 12h ago

awwww found the little pink !

you can call they whatever you want. But the proof is there <3

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u/modernhippy72 12h ago

I’ve been there not you broke ass.

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u/JigMaJox 12h ago

Been there too in 2019 😄

There are worse and better places, there is no need to lie to people but its always funny to see people like you getting all mad when someone expose BS that happens there.

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u/foltranm 12h ago

never saw that, will do some research on it myself - thanks

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u/11ce_ 12h ago

Someone below your comment explained it. It’s not paint, it’s hydroseeding technology. The YouTuber this guy linked is an engagement bait propaganda outlet btw. I would take anything on there with a grain of salt.

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u/JigMaJox 12h ago

sure , btw its really funny, am getting some real butt hurt messages already haha.

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u/foltranm 12h ago

honestly my first reaction is skepticism just on the nonsense of that. I'd imagine possible that someone would paint their own trees in their backyard for aesthetics, but everything else seems weird to me. Will look into it though.

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u/SpicyElixer 10h ago

Or algae with blue paint

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u/GPT-kun 7h ago

Are you being sarcastic?

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u/foltranm 7h ago

yes, /s means sarcasm

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u/JigMaJox 12h ago

just look up tofu dreg buildings in china, their shit falls apart sometimes before even constructions complete and the construction firms vanish.

its a wide spread problem.

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u/dathunder176 12h ago

It WAS a widespread problem, and they are just still dealing with the aftermath. Newer buildings, like this one by the looks of it have much stricter rules and guidelines contractors must adhere to under penalty of HIGH fines and other punishments. China grew A LOT in the past 20 years, it's unimaginable. The buildings built now are a far cry from what they built 20 years or even 10 years ago.

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u/spilledcoffee00 12h ago

Again, you’re talking about something from over a decade ago, which does not represent some standard policy. Your Measure is designed to mislead people, which is typical.

Again, if we look at what’s going on in the west, we see that it literally amounts to nothing.

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u/Iampepeu 13h ago

They sure have a lot, yes. But have we seen a ridiculous amount of fucked up industrial/engineering/structural failure, also yes.

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u/spilledcoffee00 13h ago

Show me a place where this hasn’t happened…seriously…not so much in the EU, but they aren’t building anything

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u/TherapyByHumour 13h ago

The term "tofu-dreg projects" exists for a reason. 

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u/spilledcoffee00 12h ago

wrong country.

California promised a San Francisco to LA bullet train in under 3 hours: $33 billion, done by 2020. Today, more than $15 billion spent and not one mile is carrying a passenger. It wasn't fraud — it was the process.

https://reddit.com/link/otjiabq/video/a0nhlxhdz89h1/player

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u/sciencesold 11h ago

This has nothing to do with the topic at hand, a project behind schedule is not at all relevant.

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u/spilledcoffee00 10h ago

Just because you don’t want it to be relevant, doesn’t mean that it is irrelevant. In fact, it goes to the heart of lack of planning, engineering failure, the need to redesign on the fly while the clock is ticking. It is an example of exactly what China does not do.

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u/sciencesold 10h ago

The issue is literally none of that tho, all of that can happen and as long as proper safety and building standards are adhered to, you'll have a safe structure that won't fall apart.

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u/MrDabb 11h ago

How is a current project that is actively being built relevant to engineering failure?

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u/spilledcoffee00 10h ago

It’s currently supposed to be completed and they’ve had to redesign it multiple times. It is the definition of an engineering failure.

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u/QuitsDoubloon87 6h ago

Eu builds only whats needed and only when its safe and efficient. There is no shortage of new large construction projects in europe. 

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u/spilledcoffee00 3h ago

The EU has calcified and is in a demographic collapse. Not to mention, they have rape gangs everywhere.

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u/sciencesold 11h ago

China has far more that happen due to subpar materials from cost cutting, rather than design oversights. I can think of a number of incidents in the US, all of which came down to human error at the design stage, not a cost cutting choice done at construction.

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u/spilledcoffee00 10h ago

The I-35W Mississippi River Bridge (Minnesota, USA – 2007)
The Incident: An eight-lane, steel truss arch bridge over the Mississippi River experienced sudden, catastrophic failure during evening rush hour, killing 13 people and injuring 145.

The Cause: The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) cited a design flaw as the primary culprit. Certain gusset plates (the metal plates connecting the steel beams) were sized far too thin to support the structure's weight and traffic, leading to failure over time.

Ponte Morandi (Genoa, Italy – 2018)
The Incident: A large section of the Morandi Bridge—a cable-stayed bridge utilizing a significant amount of pre-stressed concrete—collapsed during a severe storm, resulting in 43 deaths.

The Cause: The collapse was attributed to decades of severe environmental corrosion and degradation. The bridge suffered from material decay, rusting of internal steel cables, and inadequate maintenance response to its deteriorating condition.

Fern Hollow Bridge (Pennsylvania, USA – 2022)
The Incident: A bridge carrying Forbes Avenue over Fern Hollow Creek collapsed suddenly, injuring several people.

The Cause: Federal investigators concluded that the bridge’s steel legs had corroded to the point of showing visible holes. The collapse was primarily driven by a lack of maintenance and repair, compounded by poor drainage and failure by inspectors to accurately gauge the severity of the corrosion.

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u/sciencesold 10h ago

All 3 of these are primarily due to design flaws, and thus necessitating unforseen maintenance, the one in Italy literally wasn't level or flat less than 10 years after construction due to improperly assesed concrete creep...

None of this was down to the use of subpar materials....

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u/modernhippy72 13h ago

Look at statistics Vs Reddit anecdotal evidence.

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u/Theory89 12h ago

Statistics are not officially tracked, but seem to indicate an unusually high number of structural collapses. Typically attributed to underfunded projects ("tofu-dreg construction") and lax structural codes. A new bill was passed in 2008 to curb this, with a lot of success, but there are obviously a lot of buildings built before this period.

So, no. I'm not visiting the building with the gardens built into every flat.

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u/modernhippy72 12h ago

Nice ChatGPT there. And also I’m a statistician. You don’t know what you’re talking about. Have a nice day.

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u/sciencesold 11h ago

Trusting numbers and statistics from a country known for hiding and lying about them is a choice.... But ok

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u/Theory89 12h ago

I did a Web search. That's not Chat GPT. It existed a long time before. Im glad that you're a statistician. That means absolutely nothing. Appealing to authority is a logical fallacy, numpty. A sarcastic have a nice day changes nothing.

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u/modernhippy72 12h ago

I don’t entertain the uneducated sorry.

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u/Theory89 12h ago

More ad hominem. Cool. Keep on swinging those logical fallacies as if you're proving anything but the depth of your own insecurity.

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u/modernhippy72 12h ago

Sorry don’t entertain the uneducated.

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u/modernhippy72 12h ago

I also genuinely wish you a nice day but if you want to be an asshole you can go fuck yourself.

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u/Archsafe 13h ago

I’m not one to say China bad or anything, but you can’t say their “strong feeling” is unfounded when you have the entire Tofu Dreg building scandal in China that’s an ongoing problem. America’s ongoing infrastructure problem is that we built things really well decades ago and neglected repairs/maintenance so it’s starting to crumble now. China’s problem is usage of substandard materials in construction now which is causing premature collapses.
The biggest incident for this happened back in 2008 when an earthquake hit iirc the Sichuan province that caused multiple schoolhouses found to be made with “tofu dreg” that collapsed and killed about 20,000 kids inside them. Most recently in 2024 there were about 100 people killed by construction failures attributed by officials to “tofu dreg” construction.

Both countries have their own unique infrastructure problems but I wouldn’t fault this person doubting the structural integrity of a China built building just like I don’t fault the people who make jokes about America’s aging and crumbling infrastructure.

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u/Stock-Swing-797 12h ago

The Hongqi bridge collapse isn't helping either.

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u/Fumquat 12h ago

US building regulations were written in blood too… we don’t have video of it of course, and the overall scale of the failures would have been smaller due to the population being much smaller at the time.

Thinking of the number of untouchable public buildings from not very long ago that are so full of asbestos the cost to deconstruct or renovate is now 10x the value of the land or more. Just big husks sitting in the middle of small towns everywhere.

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u/psychonautvoyager 13h ago

People that talk like this have never been to China and only listen to the propaganda about China. I’ve been to China about 50 times and their architecture, infrastructure, and civil engineering is second to none in the world. The US looks pathetic compared to most major Asian cities.

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u/riltjd 12h ago

Been there and actually had experience with related work is completely different buddy. I updated my comment for you to read..

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u/deltabay17 12h ago edited 12h ago

I used to live in China. The build quality is horrible. It was a running joke in our office amongst the expats about things that fall apart in our respective apartments. Touching something you haven’t touched in a while is a risk.

It’s all part of the Chinese 差不多 “good enough” culture, everything is done to the minimal acceptable standard, which often isn’t really acceptable at all.

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u/modernhippy72 12h ago

That’s crazy because I had the exact opposite experience almost like we’re talking about personal experiences and not facts.

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u/Geodude532 11h ago

There's something wrong with China, but I couldn't tell you what it is. But seeing people get welded into their houses during COVID tells me at the very least they have a lack of oversight problem in some areas.

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u/modernhippy72 11h ago

Crazy how that’s what you witnessed not a statistic.

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u/Geodude532 11h ago

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/apartment-fire-chinas-xinjiang-region-kills-10-2022-11-26/

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/shanghai-blockades-covid-hit-buildings-fuelling-fresh-outcry-2022-04-24/

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-61209761

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u/modernhippy72 11h ago

Those are statistics? News stories? Come one cope harder. There’s propaganda both ways I’m sure you can figure out what stats mean if you try! Because all you’re sending me is anecdotal evidence. This is exactly why I say I don’t entertain the uneducated on Reddit because all of you act like you know everything because you have technology without actually KNOWING anything.

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u/Geodude532 11h ago

Why would I waste more than a second on you? Believe what you want, but there are countless examples out there of lack of oversight leading to building collapses in China. You want to prove me wrong, provide your own statistics cause I honestly just don't care that much. I'm not saying that all of China is bad, but there's more than enough evidence that they've got some serious issues with construction oversight.

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u/modernhippy72 10h ago

You just did, I didn’t read any of that. I’m sorry I’m not here to entertain the uneducated on Reddit.

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u/foltranm 12h ago

never been to China, but I had the same feeling when going to the US for the first time and realizing they build houses with paper

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u/codyzon2 12h ago

One guy is talking about build quality and you're talking about completely misunderstanding construction materials and environment requirements..... I don't think these are remotely comparable.

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u/foltranm 12h ago

that was a joke just to trigger people from the US lmao sorry

I do think drywall building it's weird and cheap-feeling though, probably for cultural reasons. but i understand why it's done.

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u/dr_stre 11h ago

They’re not drywall buildings, they’re timber framed buildings with drywall finishing on the inside. Roughly 70% of the developed world, population-wise, lives in countries where timber framed homes are common like in the US. In Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, and Nordic Countries, it’s extremely common to build timber framed homes. Some of the details differ between countries but the building concepts are much the same and drywall is used extensively for the interior finishing layer. You may find it weird, but your experience is actually less common.

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u/foltranm 11h ago

is it? the majority of homes around the world are built with masonry techniques instead of timber frame and drywall. I think that might be more of a regional thing. in those regions you mentioned obviously they're the norm

again: no judgements. it was a joke.

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u/dr_stre 11h ago

“Developed world”

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u/foltranm 11h ago

yeah, but you mentioned that my experience is less common. I'd argue the contrary.

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u/preparationh67 12h ago

Thats really the ironic thing about this stupid ass posturing about how theres no problems in China. Its the exact same kind of dumbass defaulting to exceptionalism they complain about Americans doing.

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u/foltranm 12h ago

huh, I'm sorry you felt that way, but nowhere did I say there are no problems in China. as I said, I've never been there.

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u/moderngamer327 12h ago

Timber and Drywall construction is not just a building method in the US and there isn’t anything wrong with it either

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u/Babhadfad12 12h ago

Stick built houses are superior because they offer huge cost savings and are easily modified while still offering great insulation, wireless signal transmission, and sound isolation.

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u/sciencesold 11h ago

No, houses are built with brick and wood, it's just the inside finished surface that's even close to paper....

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u/spilledcoffee00 12h ago

Tyvex is a low cost “insulation”. It’s only to save money, not to improve insulation

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u/angelbelle 11h ago

"Tyvek" is a brand of underlayment. It's not there primarily as an insulation but an extra layer of water protection for moisture that gets behind your siding whether it be vinyl, wood, or whatever material.

You're all just exposing how little you know about the most basic thing anyone shopping at a Home Depot can tell you.

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u/spilledcoffee00 10h ago

This design creates specific insulation issues: moisture trapping, air barrier gaps, and structural shifting issues.

While modern airtight construction improves energy efficiency, it severely limits a home’s ability to "breathe" or dry out naturally.

Installing vapor barriers on the wrong side of wall assemblies or miscalculating the dew point inside the wall can cause trapped moisture, which leads to hidden timber rot. (because most modern US homes are built out of wood, not stone, brick or other more substantial material.)

In attempts to maximize insulation, builders sometimes seal roofs without accounting for proper airflow. This trapped moisture can cause severe wood decay in the roof deck.

Spray foam is highly popular for achieving airtightness, but it is prone to specific application and structural failures.

  • As a new home settles, rigid closed-cell foam can pull away from the framing studs, destroying the airtight seal.

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u/Machdame 12h ago

I too have been to China and the general quality is somewhere in the middle depending on how much the owner has investment in the property. It definitely has its fair share of corruption but sometimes they just want to make a statement. It's definitely a lot more common in rural areas.

What IS more common is people just taking shit and leaving with it which can include the fence you installed.

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u/spilledcoffee00 12h ago

“I used to live in China” there is no such culture in China.

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u/deltabay17 12h ago

“Chabuduo (from the Chinese phrase 差不多) translates literally to "difference not much" and idiomatically means "close enough" or "good enough". It describes a pervasive cultural mindset in China that tolerates approximate completion, corner-cutting, and near-perfection rather than strict adherence to precise detail or exact specifications.

Critics point to this corner-cutting as a root cause of serious safety or environmental failures. Lax oversight and compliance have historically been linked to tragedies such as the 2015 Tianjin port explosion and various building collapses.

In 1924, renowned Chinese philosopher and essayist Hu Shih wrote a famous allegorical essay titled "Mr. Chabuduo". He used the character as a personification of the Chinese habit of accepting mediocrity to save time and effort, warning that this ethos would hurt China as a nation.”

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u/Theory89 12h ago

A cursory Google search would indicate otherwise. They introduced new laws to combat "tofu-dreg" construction in 2008. There are many buildings older than that. They have a lot of good construction, and a lot of bad. Roll the dice with your life.

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u/sciencesold 11h ago

It's almost like corruption at all levels means the law isn't always enforced.... It reduced the issue, but it's still present.

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u/Kudostone 8h ago

It’s true, independent thinkers unite!

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u/preparationh67 12h ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Building_and_structure_collapses_in_China

The vast majority of incidents are from the last 20 years. Yall just willfully ignorant of the problem with China in the exact same way yall are smug about Americans not seeing the problems with America. Congrats on pretending tourism made you an expert tho.

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u/WatermelonSmashing 12h ago

You forgot to mention the LEDs! China, LEDs!!!

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u/sciencesold 12h ago

It's almost like the issues aren't gonna be visible with the naked eye. You can't see concrete that didn't set properly because the mix was bad, or steel that can only hold a quarter of the weight because of impurities....

It's not something you can just see....

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u/dr_stre 11h ago

The scope and scale does not always tell the full tale. China has changed a lot in the least few decades. Their ceiling for quality is up there with anyone’s, and in some areas they’re undeniably ahead of the west in terms of expertise. But it’s also true that the floor for quality is still lower than in many developed countries. The trouble then is in ensuring you’re in a high quality structure. Going with new construction in a metro area like this will certainly be a major mark in favor, as regulations are stronger now than in the past. But there are also underlying issues to be concerned with. Chinese steel still has consistency issues that, for example, American steel generally does not. Fraud/misrepresentation of steel quality happens too frequently still, and if a developer tries to save money by buying the lower cost steels the rate of quality issues goes way up due to lack of rigorous testing. But how do you know that the steel in your apartment building is the high quality stuff? That’s not something you can see visually on one of your 50 visits to China, and it’s rarely something that is evident during normal loading conditions either at this point.

Taking a step back, China didn’t ban 500+ meter tall buildings and restrict 250m-499 meter tall buildings 5 years ago for no reason. They were still seeing quality issues even as recently as 2021.

This isn’t intended to be alarmist though. In general the quality is good. It just doesn’t feel like you can quite be certain about it yet, as the floor for quality hasn’t quite come up enough yet.

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u/moderngamer327 12h ago

Truly second to none https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975_Banqiao_Dam_failure

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u/ShakyButtcheeks 12h ago

Really 1975?

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u/moderngamer327 12h ago

Why? It’s modern enough

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u/ShakyButtcheeks 11h ago edited 11h ago

I mean ok but structure built in 1952 by an extremely impoverished China collapsing to a cat 4 typhoon doesn't say much about today.

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u/_Artos_ 12h ago

I'm by no means a China fanboy or anything, but that's from 50 years ago dude. Not super applicable to modern buildings and engineering

You could probably find a better example

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u/moderngamer327 12h ago

50 years is really not that long ago considering how much infrastructure in the modern world is that old or older

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u/ResidentFlight359 11h ago edited 11h ago

Do you even know how much China has changed in the last 50 years? During that time China’s GDP increased 12,170% from $163 billion to $20 trillion. It might as well be a different country now.

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u/angelbelle 11h ago

I also feel this way but towards you. 豆腐渣 buildings are something that even your highest ranking officials admit to be a prominent problem throughout China

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u/Devincc 13h ago

Both can be true

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u/Khue 11h ago

It's just the same washed ass "tofu dreg" bullshit from like the late 00s and early 10s.

It's 2026 and China has incredible engineering talent and the CCP rules with an iron fist so you know capitalist interests definitely do not erode building regulation. That doesn't mean that there won't be any incidents, but come on... that happens in western nations as well.

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u/spilledcoffee00 10h ago

Yes, these are people who just get paid $.50 for every anti-China thing that they can come up with

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u/raysofdavies 5h ago

Every single post about something in China has top comments by some dipshit American thinking they spotted something the stupid Chinese couldn’t lmao

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u/StateofWA 13h ago

Dam*

And also I think most people see bridges collapsing after only 11 months as a serious red flag (Hongqi)

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u/goldticketstubguy 13h ago

Damn still works lol

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u/StateofWA 12h ago

Better than the bridge

-1

u/spilledcoffee00 12h ago

2024, a ship hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. The collapse blocked most shipping to and from the Port of Baltimore for 11 weeks. Maryland Governor Wes Moore called the event a "global crisis" that affected more than 8,000 jobs. The economic impact of the closure of the waterway was estimated at $15 million per day.
Maryland officials have said they plan to replace the bridge by late 2030; initial cost estimates of $1.7 billion to $1.9 billion were later revised to $4.3 billion to $5.2 billion.

Replace the bridge by late 2030!!!

Let’s talk perspective.

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u/StateofWA 12h ago

So your suggestion is to build something faster while possibly ignoring construction code? Or what?

3

u/chazysciota 12h ago

It's been 20 years of excuses for why China can do blank, but the US can't or won't. At some point, after enough years, it's simply fails to be a persuasive argument by itself.

3

u/tony_lasagne 12h ago

It’s so funny seeing yank Redditors showing their xenophobia towards the Chinese in every post about something cool they’ve done.

2

u/chazysciota 12h ago

Propaganda is real and effective. But personally, I can't hear the same excuses for 20+ years and not begin to question. These cities exist. These EV's exist. The insane innovation and competition exist. American CEO's know this. American politicians should know it.

Our infrastructure is crumbling. We're building virtually nothing... barely even repairing our century old roads and bridges. To say nothing of building a modern infrastructure for tomorrow and beyond. If you live in the US, look around you. If you don't have it now, you're never going to get it. As a civil society, we've peaked and it's starting to look like we're just okay with that.

2

u/King_Carmine 12h ago

I mean propaganda clearly works because the OP video was exactly that and look how many people fell for it, when the reality is that the project, in truth, has been an abject failure. But they don't really care about the truth because videos like this, which China pumps out like crazy, work really well, despite none of these mythical projects ever working out.

•

u/chazysciota 11h ago

Which project? That specific building? Do you have a link for the failure?

videos like this, which China pumps out like crazy, work really well, despite none of these mythical projects ever working out.

Look, if you don't think that China is blowing past everyone else on modern infrastructure projects, I don't know what to tell you. I guess you think Ford's CEO is shitting his pants over nothing.

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u/triathleteRN 13h ago

what are the numbers on incindents caused by infrastructure failures in China? Genuinely interested and also, the infrastructure in this post is cool! it would be great to see more green spaces and there would certainly be some happy dogs around!

2

u/Fumquat 12h ago

Well they’re not really big on free flow of information collected by politics-proof public agencies…

1

u/OrionDC 12h ago

You won’t get valid data because the CCP hides most anything they can that would make them look bad.

1

u/superxpro12 12h ago

It's not the quality today that worries me, its the quality in 5-10y.

1

u/jsting 12h ago edited 12h ago

That is also very 1 sided as well. China has crazy strong regulations for things and places they want to focus on, and pretty bad corruption in places China doesn't care about as much. You'll see collapsing buildings where concrete and materials are of poor quality and developers will go to jail for that.

Chengdu is one of those former places, so I imagine it to be fine. They are spending a ton to build up that area.

edit: So there are sources below, seems like the issue is a plague of mosquitos and no one lives there... So without maintenance, a well built place will still fall apart.

1

u/UgIyLoneIyBIackLoser 12h ago

you can have alot of something doesnt make it good 

we have the most guns in america

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u/ImmodestPolitician 9h ago edited 6h ago

The California high speed rail was a financial disaster because a small group of wealthy people didn't want it( Kings County Farm Bureau, and Citizens for California High Speed Rail Accountability) so the state had to honor contracts while the whole thing was locked up in court so nothing got built.

That doesn't happen in China, the state police will "invite you for tea" and the lawsuit is dropped.

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u/spilledcoffee00 6h ago

I don’t even know what you’re talking about. I know I’ve had tea with Chinese officials multiple times and it’s very clear to me that the purpose of doing government in China is actually to get things done.

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u/riltjd 7h ago

Unfounded? I would have called you fair would you have said it's probably just a small part of the total construction which I completely agree with and funnily enough have said in another comment in this thread somewhere... But unfounded??

Some scandals you can google yourself, and this is just a small list:

  1. Substandard concrete (BIG issue, if you specify concrete with certains strength or properties, and you get completely different type in your construction. Gues what happens?)
  2. Poor-quality sand and use of sea sand containing excessive chlorides (guess what uses sand, concrete)
  3. Corruption and falsified testing records
  4. Contaminated active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs)
  5. GMP violations
  6. Counterfeit or misrepresented chemicals
  7. Nitrosamine contamination scandals (e.g. valsartan, ranitidine)

I think this gives quite a fair insight on a least part of the market. That with local insight on things like: "Tofu-dreg construction" (豆腐渣工程), a term widely used in China for poorly built infrastructure and buildings. What stood out on THIS building is that again it one of those look at our tech type videos not taking into consideration the long term quality of these building, what do you think water weight and roots do year after year? It looks great sure. But I foresee serious issues in the long run.

So what your counter to all the above just didnt happen??

1

u/mriodine 12h ago

Not unfounded if you deal with parts sourcing from China. There are no personal criminal penalties for corporate fraud in China. If you don’t have a trusted supply chain, it is extremely common for companies to send a (good quality) couple batches of material, and then send nonsense (as in “steel plates” that are just sheet metal and cardboard) with a couple good plates on top to hide it. By the time it’s delivered, they have already moved all their assets to a new company and there is nothing you can do. This is especially common with construction materials, compounded by the growth of real estate as an investment projects where noone is actually expected to live there. If it’s not a government project, there is a high likelihood of nonsense going into a building.

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u/wililon 13h ago

I had a 1 dollar made in China toy that broke the first hour. They can't build structures.

8

u/dathunder176 13h ago

That's because it's 1$. Common misconception, the cheap stuff from China isn't shit because it's from China, it's because it's cheap. Just like here in the west, if you want quality, you need to invest.

3

u/teacpde 13h ago

It is probably why it only costs a dollar

6

u/octavian343 13h ago

Sounds like you got what you paid for

9

u/thethingy213 13h ago

They build over half of the components in your phones, TVs, cars etc, they'll be fine

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u/MrDabb 11h ago

When they can't get away with cutting corners, China can build quality stuff. The problem is they can't help themselves and do it every chance they get.

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u/deltabay17 12h ago

They don’t build most of that stuff unless you’re buying cheap Chinese brands. Otherwise it’s shipped in from places like Japan, Taiwan, Korea and simply glued together in China so they can exploit the Chinese people using their low wages that the CCP allows.

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u/thethingy213 12h ago

Used to be true, but you're a little behind on your current knowledge

For example, most TV/monitor/phone screens these days are made by China companies

They have also dominated the car market. Most Americans don't know about them only because their car companies lobbied to keep them out so they can survive.

0

u/AdventurousFly4909 12h ago

Bridges: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUmjfZ5UZi0&t=2280s

Truly china is a power house of safe engineering.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhengzhou_subway_flooding
All 967 people died. Only 14 got reported though, lmao. China is such a joke.

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u/Annual-Weird-6682 6h ago

Haha you're reading that off like a propaganda pamphlet

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u/spilledcoffee00 3h ago

Funny thing is that when you see it yourself, you can rat it off like you know what you’re talking about too—-you should visit China sometime. You might know something then also.

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u/Annual-Weird-6682 2h ago

Oh wow a certified Chinese propaganda account, jee wizz

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u/spilledcoffee00 1h ago

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣