During the National Day holiday in China, tourist attractions across the country were crowded with visitors, sparking a renewed interest in “budget travel.” However, a different scene unfolded in Xiong’an New Area, located approximately a hundred kilometers south of Beijing, as captured by the camera lens – an eerie silence prevailed. The high-speed railway station stood vast yet deserted, with no signs of life on the streets. Despite being lauded by the Chinese Communist Party as a “thousand-year project” and the “city of the future,” after eight years of construction, Xiong’an New Area still lacks the vibrant atmosphere promised, even after the relaxation of property purchase restrictions failed to attract more residents.
Multiple online videos during the holiday period showed that Xiong’an New Area, with an investment of up to 800 billion Chinese yuan, remained eerily quiet. The streets were sparsely populated, the neatly arranged residential buildings resembled toy blocks, and from a distance, there was a lack of vitality.
A TikTok user lamented, “The location choice for Xiong’an New Area is truly a mistake. I don’t see any rationality in it. It is built in the so-called ‘Jizhong Depression’ area, the lowest point of the North China Plain, near the Baiyangdian Lake, which has historically been threatened by floods.” Another person said, “Look, during this major holiday, there are hardly any people on the streets in Xiong’an. There are few cars on the roads. Such emptiness is usually seen only late at night in other cities, not during the day like in Xiong’an.”
Some netizens captured scenes of the high-speed railway station and whispered, “Now it’s the holiday season, with the whole country bustling with people, yet it is so quiet here that even the cleaners are idle.”
The Beijing-Xiong’an intercity railway, touted as the lifeline connecting the new area and the capital, currently operates around a dozen train pairs daily, but actual passenger numbers remain sparse. A passenger commented, “There are only about a dozen people in the entire train carriage.”
Once advertised as the “most modern high-speed rail hub in China,” Xiong’an Station has now become the “quietest station.” In WeChat and Weibo comment sections, many netizens pointed out, “Despite massive investment in Xiong’an, the lack of vitality, sparse population, and halted construction projects are evident.” While some chose to remain silent out of hesitation.
Recently, “exploring Xiong’an” has become a trending topic on platforms like TikTok and Kwai. In the short clips, there are vast new buildings, straight roads, and sparse streetlights. Comments vary from holding an “expectant for the future” attitude to expressing disappointment and concern.
Mr. Zhang, a university administrator from Beijing, visits Xiong’an every year to “experience life” because his school has a branch there. He told reporters, “The city of Xiong’an is quite beautiful, and transportation is convenient, with supermarkets and convenience stores. However, there is no vibrancy. It’s inconvenient! To visit a supermarket, we have to walk two miles, and to receive major medical treatment, we have to return to Beijing. What about my house in Beijing?”
Mr. Zhang added, “The school requires us to work at the Xiong’an branch, but many people are unwilling to do so. Recently, the school mentioned that those who refuse will have their labor contracts terminated and mentioned rotating there for two or three years. If it is a good place, why force us to go?”
Some netizens also commented, “Xiong’an is close to Baiyangdian Lake, which has historically been a convergence point of water systems, with low-lying terrain and poor drainage. The great flood in 1939 submerged surrounding villages, and recent extreme rainfall has increased flood prevention pressure.”
Although officials claim that Xiong’an has constructed a “smart water system” and ecological barriers, the public still lacks a sense of security. Mr. Qin, a resident of Baoding, said, “Being theoretically safe does not equate to feeling mentally secure.” This sentiment resonated with many netizens.
Since the announcement of establishing the new area in 2017, over 835.4 billion yuan has been invested in Xiong’an, equivalent to the construction volume of three New York cities. Many analysts describe this as an unprecedented financial gamble.
A food delivery driver named Xiao Li told reporters that once his motorcycle broke down, and he had to take a taxi back, to which the driver wryly remarked, “In the daytime, I can drive workers around, but at night, there are barely any customers.” Xiao Li pointed to the commercial areas along the route and said, “Many places are labeled with ‘open for business,’ but due to the lack of homebuyers and customers, many are not operational.”
He noted that the real estate market is stagnant, developers struggle to recover funds, and authorities had to lift the purchase restrictions, saying, “They recently relaxed the property purchase policy. People from surrounding areas no longer need local household registration or social security to buy property, but houses are still not selling.”
The Chinese Communist Party holds high expectations for Xiong’an, positioning it as a “demonstration zone for dispersing Beijing’s non-capital functions,” emphasizing ecological sustainability, smart technology, and innovation. However, netizens mockingly question, “Let’s see how they clean up this mess.”
In 2025, designated as the “year of functional diversion” by the authorities, three central government-owned enterprises, including China National Chemical Corporation, China Huaneng Group, and China Xingwang Group, plan to relocate as the first batch. Nevertheless, most central enterprises still operate from Beijing, with Xiong’an serving as a mere registration location. An employee stationed there revealed, “During weekdays, you can see people, but the entire city empties out on weekends.”
On October 5th, the “2025 Xiong’an New Area Agricultural Expo” was reported to have commenced by the “Hebei Daily,” claiming the event was “lively” with exhibitions, technological showcases, artisans’ performances, and band performances. However, footage captured by several self-media platforms showed limited foot traffic, mainly comprising official delegations and media personnel.
According to a reporter’s analysis, in 2024, Xinhua News Agency and People’s Daily published around sixty to seventy articles about Xiong’an, focusing on infrastructure development and the city’s future positioning. As of October 2025, the number of related articles decreased significantly to about thirty, mostly comprising brief reports or routine updates, indicating a noticeable decline in official promotional efforts, signaling waning policy implementation vigor.