Night images of a district in Kunming, Yunnan, about to be destroyed.

In Kunming, as in many other Chinese cities, we are witnessing the demolition (literally) of a recent past. For years Chinese architecture was represented almost exclusively by white buildings covered with dingy tiles. This embarrassing representation of China is the target of a new ideal of luxury development. Bulldozers and demolition crews knock down relentlessly those neighborhoods. Before that happens, these areas are being evacuated and all the residents moved elsewhere, after trying to take away what could be saved. Those districts that were once populated by a bustle of activity, are now ghost towns. Night falls, and between the abandoned streets waving only the shadows of recent stories already forgotten.

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Pictures by Matteo Damiani

topic: abandoned places, construction sites in China, urban village, urbanization

CHINA-UNDERGROUND. Matteo Damiani is an Italian sinologist, photographer, author and motion designer. Matteo lived and worked for ten years in China. Founder of CinaOggi.it and China-underground.com. china-underground.com