@kickassy: I was wondering if it was made of matchsticks.

Git Em SteveDave displays attention-grabbing vanity

It is a stunning model, in a very boring 'museum' but worth going to see, if you are in town for more than a few days.

sean.piggott

I'm tempted to drop a miniature lit match into the woden expanse.

kickassy

Next you have to set the adjoining room on fire to recreate the smog

Kevin

Is that a new Age of Empires map???

dcmidnight

Ha, the Chinese version of Google Maps

Kevin

What's that in square meters?

JDisnidiet

Ah, cool! They're going to freeze the river like that by 2020?

Otherwise: what a stupid waste. What they've done is nothing CAD and large projections couldn't have accomplished: visualizing the city as it MIGHT be 12 years from now.

unspellable

I can see my house from here!

hakubak

Amazing what a totalitarian regime can accomplish. I'll bet the trains run on time too.

stryder100

@Kevin: Hey, Kev - post that comment a few more times. I think I almost get it now... ;-)

Pixelologist

are you guys sure this isn't the GTA boardgame prototype?

KoRnholio8

You are right. It's not 1,000 square feet. Just by looking at the photo, it's clear it's way bigger than that.

Jesus Diaz

Not a lot of info in TFA, but if it's really only 1,000 square feet, it's totally pwnd by New York City's Panorama:

[www.queensmuseum.org]

9,335 square feet of five borough goodness, and rocking the mini city vibe since 1964.

marcsiry

too early in the morning for a smart comment all I can say is WoW.

lilaliendog

Oh no, they say he's got to go
Go, go, Godzilla
Oh no, there goes Tokyo
Go, go, Godzilla

Godzilla

P3nnst8r has returned on the Graces of Brian Ashcraft

Some time-lapse video would be awesome. Oh China? Nevermind...

atomx

The forma urbis romae puts all of these to shame! We don't need no fancy-pants 3rd dimension *spins gladius on the ground a la Gladiator*

c0rnpwn

In Holland they have a tourist attraction called Madurodam, which is a 1:25 scale model of Amsterdam and vicinity. It takes up about 5 acres (roughly 217,800 square feet). It puts this model to shame.

ronreal

@marcsiry: That model is AWESOME. Totally a reason to go to the Queens Museum if you've never been.

Lupus_Yonderboy

I guess they ran out of building material. There isn't a single hovering security drone patrolling and zapping the citizens after curfew.

Kaiser-Machead's BSDM Shenanigans

why is shanghai 2020 covered in 90s PC beige?

kahri

...Something about being too stimulating?

atomx

@ronreal: You thought it was 5 acres. (But that's just cause you were stoned.)

I once tried to build a 1:1 scale model of my apartment, but then I realized that I would have to build the scale model a scale model to be realistic, then I realized the original apartment now had two scale models, so each of the scale models needed two scale models...all of a sudden I had five apartments and realized that I had to build four more for each model, but I'd forgotten to build the scale models for the scale models' scale models...

(Oh, and Queens Museum FTW. If you live in NYC, no excuse not to go.)

92BuickLeSabre

@kahri: Because by 2020, all other colors will be banned.

atomx

remarkably detailed, but clearly the city would not be visible through an Air Pollution Index (API) of 30,000

malvones

In the future there will be no cars or people

Denver_80203

Someone has too much time and money...

D-Rock78

That is one impressive model! Though almost all the buildings are the same color and they forgot to model the signature Chinese smog which will never allow a person to see this whole visage at the same time in real life.

gloveofpower

Lego would of been way cooler.....

superbryant

This is actually over five years old or so.

Still, its no less amazing to see. I think its a work in progress though, they actually go in and update it as major plans change.

Gunadz

@D-Rock78: Better too much than too little.

Kaiser-Machead's BSDM Shenanigans

The Halo 3 diorama for the Hero commercial shoot was 1200 square feet, so you might want to reword that as the biggest "real" city model.

The Brain

@Jesus Diaz: BoingBoing reports that it's 1,000 square *meters* -- which makes sense since China is probably metric like most of the world.

[www.boingboing.net]

Tony C

@The Brain: I actually met the guy who was in charge of that campaign. It was crazy how much work went into that site

Josh_Geyer

@The Brain: The Halo 3 diorama was a city?

holysocks

Put some Evangelions in there and we've got a deal.

Evangelion

I better get started on my Chinese lessons.

RE-L

There is a model of New York City at the Queens Museum that appears at least as big as this, complete with air traffic, and its been around for decades.
[www.queensmuseum.org]

EagleLegal

They should've used Lego's

zed0

Thanks to those who pointed out the New York city model. If you are ANYWHERE near this, take the train ride out to the Queens Art Museum and see this thing. It's breathtaking. And not commissioned by the Chinese Assh... I mean, Authorities.

ohjohnsmall

I wonder if there was a hierarchy among the modelers -- for example, did party member geeks get the really cool buildings?

TokyoDevil

That model is a bit optimistic. In real life, the water in that river is more of a murky greenish brown. Also, the sky is far from clear and most buildings are stained with soot and various other particulate matter. I was there just last summer...it's a fun city, but my god is it disgusting.

Eric1285

Giz...Gotta do your home work. The Panorama of the City of New York at the Queens Museum, built for the 1964 World's Fair is almost 10 times the size of this, ringing in at almost 10,000 sq.ft. There was a gondola ride that went over it back in the day. http://www.queensmuseum.org/panorama/about.htm This Shanghai model would fit on the Staten Island portion of the NYC model!!!

JudyCater

@Eric1285: Still too optimistic. Water will be pitch black.

Camon