Costly Complex Buries Poverty-stricken County in Debt

Dushan County, a poverty-stricken county in Guizhou Province, stirred public outcry for spending over 2.2 billion yuan (US$314.2m) on a complex resembling the Forbidden City in Beijing. The design draws from the history of Dushan County, the birthplace of an ancient state that existed more than 2,000 years ago. Media reported it was approved by local Party secretary Pan Zhili, an official with a reputation for vanity projects. By the time he was detained for bribery and other violations, the county had racked up 40 billion yuan (US$5.7b) in debt. Netizens feared that Dushan County would never be able to repay the debt for buildings that have otherwise drawn little interest from tourists.