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

Roughly 15 years ago, 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.

Ordos New Town — also known as Kangbashi — would hold 1 million residents and be known for its massive conceptual-architecture projects, residential towers, and state-of-the-art sports venues.

But high property taxes and poor construction deterred people from settling in Ordos. Today, though some 100,000 people call it home, most of the city sits unused, wasting away.

"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 Tech Insider. You can check out more on his website.