A city in China, Chengdu, is home to what Chinese officials call the "largest building in the world," the New Century Global Center, according to NBC News. This is distinguished from the tallest building in the world, which is located in Dubai.
The building is located in the capital city of the Sichuan province, a city that is home to a population of over 14 million people. It opened on June 28 and was developed by the Exhibition and Travel Group, and measures 500 meters long, 400 meters wide and 100 meters high. It's so large that it could contain 20 Sydney Opera Houses and has three times the square footage of the Pentagon building in Washington, D.C.
In addition to its sheer largesse, the building also contains China's biggest shopping and entertainment mall, two 1,000-room five-star hotels, an ice-skating rink, a 14-screen IMAX theater and an artificial beach.
The pseudo seaside area offers 400 meters of "coastline," as well as the world's largest artificial waves. It even includes the world's largest LED screen to display sunrises and sunsets. The coastline accommodates 6,000 people and serves as the main attraction of the New Century Global Center.
Chengdu suffers from chronic smog, though city officials say that visitors don't need to worry about the climate.
"We have borrowed a Japanese technique," Liu Xun, a tour guide, told the Sydney Morning Herald. "There will be an artificial sun that will shine 24 hours a day and allow for a comfortable temperature."
The closest real beach is approximately 1000 kilometers away.
"This is an ocean city built by man," Liu said.
Additional buildings are set to open up in the next few months as well. A promotional video for the New Century Global Center shows that the new building is "transforming Chengdu into a world-class, modern city of idyllic beauty."
Promotional video about the new center.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
