China’s new megacity Xiongan takes shape near Beijing with residential area ready by summer 2023

China’s latest project to build a giant city from scratch is taking shape in the northern province of Hebei, with work to install beams in all major buildings completed as of early July 2022. Located about 100km (62 miles) southwest of the capital Beijing, in the Xiongan New Area is an ambitious plan announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2017 when he described the city as a “big 1,000-year strategy”. State media reports said the residential area is expected to be ready for use in August 2023 while the central area is expected to be done one month later. Xiongan’s main function will be to serve as a development hub for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei economic triangle.