September 15, 2020, 05:18 PM
Built in 2018, the Qiyi City Forest Garden in Chengdu was meant to be a green paradise for residents.
Up to 20 types of plants are grown at the balcony of each unit and the lush greenery is supposed to filter air and noise pollution in the city.
Chengdu is one of the major cities in China with a severe smog problem.
The "vertical forest" residential project was thus popular back then and all 826 units were sold out in April 2019.
The first vertical forest residential community is built in Chengdu, SW China, Sichuan Province. It‘s the first 4th generation housing project focusing on increasing the green rate and developing vertical greening to improve urban ecological environment. https://t.co/S78yd2a12o pic.twitter.com/QyyMdI7viL
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) November 23, 2018
Here's a close up of what each balcony or common area in the block looks like:
via Weibo.
via Weibo.
Lush balconies & mosquito infestation due to lack of maintenance
A year on, the residential area has become overrun with plants as there are no tenants to care and maintain the greenery on the balconies.
Only about 10 families have moved in, according to Global Times.
In the neglected balconies without tenants, the plants are lush and hang over the railings of the eight buildings of 30 floors.
A resident who has moved in for a few months said the plants have attracted insects like mosquitoes, Chinapress reported.
Chinese netizens are divided on this residential project, some voiced out on safety concerns over branches falling from the high-rise buildings while others find that it is a good idea to be living close to nature, HK01 reported.
The project developer said in response that they will provide maintenance four times a year and will also step up pest control efforts.
The project is just one of many 'vertical forest' projects in China, which is meant to absorb carbon dioxide and provide fresh oxygen to combat air pollution in Chinese cities.
Other projects include the Nanjing Green Towers in the state's Jiangsu province.
China's Nanjing towers could provide the city, a breath of fresh air, giving an estimated 132 pounds of oxygen daily>https://t.co/MFuaOgsuIg pic.twitter.com/Y97Tm68vcl
— UN Environment Programme (@UNEP) February 5, 2017
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