Tag: China

Posted on

Alibaba’s founder has become China’s richest person

Jack Ma, Alibaba's chief executive

Alibaba’s blockbuster $25 billion stock offering has made Jack Ma the wealthiest man in China, according to a new survey, as investor enthusiasm for Chinese technology names enriches a new generation of Internet moguls.

Ma, founder and executive chairman of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, and his family have a net worth of about $25 billion following last week’s initial public offering.

The shift reflects a flood of dollars into China’s rapidly growing Internet sector, as investors bet on firms such as Alibaba growing at a fast clip at home and becoming more globally competitive. China has seen a record 15 Internet IPOs so far this year.

Posted on

Skywalking, the new trend sweeping Russia

Skywalking - the new trend in Russia

Groups of young people are defying death as part of the new “skywalking” trend sweeping Russia. They are illegally climbing buildings around the world to take the most incredible shots of cities from vantages rarely seen.

Vitaliy Raskalov is taking us on a heart-pounding and one-of-a-kind experience while scaling the tallest building in China – the Shanghai Tower (click on photo to enlarge)

Posted on

Scarcity of Land in China Leads to Building Villas on Buildings’ Rooftops

Four houses on roof of Chinese mall

In Zhuzhou, Hunan’s second-largest city, a developer has come up with an innovative way to let some people enjoy the yard and isolation of a freestanding house in the middle of a quickly growing city. These four villas sit on the roof of a five-story shopping mall, enjoying both airy views of the city and the mall’s green rooftop. The roof’s garden also reflects a growing trend in many of China’s cities. Last year, Beijing passed a law requiring buildings that have fewer than 12 floors, are shorter than 45 meters, and were built within the last 20 years to house live vegetation on their rooftops, and other cities are following Beijing’s lead.

Chinese doctor builds illegal rock villa atop Beijing apartment tower

Eccentric Beijing resident Zhang Biqing has just spent the last six years constructing this $2.4 million faux-mountaintop villa on top a 26-story hi-rise — just in time for the Chinese authorities to finally declare it illegal. The 10,000 square foot complex is now slated for demolition.