How To House a Billion People

I find it difficult to convey my awe at the forest of residential high rises that dominate every city in China. Every city, for miles before and miles after we pass through it by train. Row after row after row. Some are new — so new they are still under construction — and some are older — so old they rise a mere 5 or 6 stories compared to the 30 or 40+ of the newer buildings. I tried again and again from the train to get the quintessential photo that would capture it, but I soon realized I could take pictures all day (Anna would probably say I did). There are just so many.

As we sped further into China’s interior, we did see farmland, and then suddenly a huge solar farm appeared, spreading across the rolling hills. Then a small village. And then back to residential high rises, as far as the eye could see.

We had no wifi, but GPS placed our blue dot — somewhere smack in the middle of the PRC.