Inside ‘dystopian' apartment block where its 20,000 residents never need to leave

Residents who live in one of China’s largest apartment blocks have their every need catered for, meaning they never actually have to step foot outside into the real world again.

Imagine you’re shopping for a new home, what are your non-negotiable, nearby amenities?

A card-operated laundromat and a supersize Whole Foods, maybe?

Or perhaps a string of up-and-coming restaurants and an entertainment quarter consisting of bowling alleys, karaoke bars and late-night pizza joints to satisfy the cravings?

Well, for the residents of the Regent International in Qianjiang Century City, the dream of having everything within touching distance is actually a reality.

Would never leaving your apartment block be a utopian dream or a dystopian nightmare? (TikTok/@fatheristheone)

The Chinese apartment complex, which stands at 675ft tall and offers 260,000 square metres of space, is one of the largest buildings in the Hangzhou central business district.

The Regent International has everything from a food court to barber shops, nail salons, swimming pools, internet cafés and medium-sized supermarkets.

Of course, the building cannot provide fresh air unless you open a window, so you're probably going to want to head out to see some nature and stretch your legs once in a while.

But other than going for a walk, the building managers have taken care of your every desire.

Multiple Chinese language publications have addressed the building's population. A 2023 article from Hangzhou Network Media (translated using Google Translate) said: "During the peak period of the population moving into the shared housing, Regent International had more than 30,000 residents."

However, a 2021 report cited in the article noted that only 10,000 permanent residents were officially identified at the time.

The building has previously gone viral on social media thanks to TikTok coverage of the wild amenities on offer.

While what is inside is certainly impressive, the sheer scale of the building is what has initially grabbed many people's attention online.

The residential building was initially designed as a six-star hotel by Alicia Loo (TikTok/@fatheristheone)

In a video uploaded to TikTok by the user @fatheristheone, the immensity of the building is showcased with incredible drone footage.

When the building was designed by Alicia Loo, the chief designer of the world’s second seven-star hotel, the Singapore Sands Hotel, it was intended to be a six-star hotel.

But it now thrives as a building boasting thousands of apartments and residents.

The swanky living quarters are mostly popular amongst students, graduates and young professionals.

And if you're curious about how much it costs to live here, small apartments without windows (yes, you read that correctly) usually go for around 1,500 RMB per month ($210), according to local news outlets.

Meanwhile, some of the larger properties with balconies are on the market for 4,000 RMB per month ($570).

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