From 2013 (reminder) but with what we are knowing now… Could it be that these "Ghosttowns" were created for the rich, to live there when we all suffering from the aftermath?

China building mega cities but they remain empty ghost towns

CHINA is building new cities at an estimated rate of up to 12 to 24 a year - but they are ghost towns marked by empty homes and shops.

"People are being moved into the cities but that doesn't necessarily mean they can afford these apartments which cost US$100,000. These are poor people moving into the cities, so they're building the wrong kind of apartments.

https://www.news.com.au/finance/china-building-mega-cities-but-they-remain-empty-sparking-fears-of-housing-bubble-burst/news-story/c76fa7a3dcbcf38ca1fab4bac4e7bf21