Hangzhou high-speed railway station is sinking; Tofu-dreg projects are rampant across China

In 2009, a 13-story building under construction in Shanghai collapsed and lay flat on the ground, shocking everyone. From Shanghai to Wuhan, dangerous buildings are widespread. Recent collapses across mainland China highlight pervasive, shoddy construction. On July 10, for example, a video posted by Old Driver showed severe road damage after heavy rain in Badong County, Hubei Province. Due to rapid deterioration, some netizens questioned the construction's integrity. On the 3rd, a person using the internet reported that the platform at Hangzhou East Railway Station was sinking. Photos showed train carriages positioned 30 centimeters above the platform, which created safety hazards. The Hangzhou East Railway Station is one of Asia's largest transportation hubs and opened on July 1, 2013. By July 5, officials acknowledged the issue and referred it to professional inspectors. Residents noted that the station was built on soft soil, which likely caused the sinking. There have also been several instances of poorly constructed high-rise buildings in the country. On June 23, for example, a residential building in Wuhan swayed in the wind. And on June 21, a residential building in Guangzhou collapsed. Additionally, on May 27, part of a five-story building in Anhui Province collapsed, leading to five people being reported missing. Videos of the incident showed the building reduced to rubble, raising concerns about the quality of construction and the absence of steel bars. Other examples include high-rise insulation walls that can be easily blown off, and stone railings glued together that break under minor pressure. In October, an elderly woman in Guangdong was injured when a stone guardrail broke. On July 23, last year, the roof of a gymnasium at No. 34 Middle School in Heilongjiang Province collapsed, resulting in the deaths of 11 people. This collapse occurred despite a recent safety inspection, and it was attributed to the illegal storage of heavy materials on the roof. Parents of the victims criticized the authorities for their poor communication and handling of the aftermath. Shoddy construction like this has been a persistent problem. On June 27, 2009, a 13-story building in Shanghai collapsed due to the use of substandard materials, raising concerns about the regulatory oversight of such construction projects.