Gallery: For a Nation of 1.4 Billion People, China Can Sure Look Empty

  • This image may contain Road Freeway Highway City Town Building and Urban
    Bence Bakonyi
    01

    bencebakonyi-segue-24.jpg

    A roadway in Aberdeen, Hong Kong.
  • Image may contain Wheel Machine Transportation Vehicle Bike and Bicycle
    Bence Bakonyi
    02

    bencebakonyi-segue-18.jpg

    A street in Shanghai, China.
  • Image may contain Road Urban Town Building City Banister and Handrail
    Bence Bakonyi
    03

    bencebakonyi-segue-12.jpg

    A cemetery with a view in Hong Kong.
  • This image may contain City Town Urban Building High Rise Outdoors Nature Apartment Building Neighborhood and Snow
    Bence Bakonyi
    04

    bencebakonyi-segue-10.jpg

    Happy Valley, a residential area in Hong Kong.
  • Image may contain Wheel Machine Vehicle Transportation Bike Bicycle Building City Town Urban and Metropolis
    Bence Bakonyi
    05

    bencebakonyi-segue-15.jpg

    A bicycle parking lot in Shanghai, China.
  • Image may contain City Town Building High Rise Urban Apartment Building Housing and Condo
    Bence Bakonyi
    06

    bencebakonyi-segue-27.jpg

    Skyscrapers at night in Hong Kong.
  • Image may contain Demolition and Rubble
    Bence Bakonyi
    07

    bencebakonyi-segue-13.jpg

    Old homes in Shanghai, China, in the process of being demolished.
  • Image may contain Urban Road Town Building City Street Alley Alleyway and Metropolis
    Bence Bakonyi
    08

    bencebakonyi-segue-14.jpg

    Houses in Shanghai, China.
  • Image may contain City Town Building High Rise Urban and Apartment Building
    Bence Bakonyi
    09

    bencebakonyi-segue-23.jpg

    Clothes drying on a rooftop in Shanghai, China.
  • Image may contain Gate
    Bence Bakonyi
    10

    bencebakonyi-segue-17.jpg

    The entrance to a factory in Shanghai, China.
  • Image may contain Building Urban City Town High Rise Apartment Building and Home Decor
    Bence Bakonyi
    11

    bencebakonyi-segue-25.jpg

    Residential highrises in Hong Kong.
  • Image may contain Soil Outdoors Nature Sand Dune and Desert
    Bence Bakonyi
    12

    bencebakonyi-segue-09.jpg

    A parking lot in Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park, which does not actually permit cars to enter.
  • Image may contain Outdoors Archaeology Building Architecture and Castle
    Bence Bakonyi
    13

    bencebakonyi-segue-03.jpg

    The Unesco-protected Mount Huangshan sits southwest of Shanghai in the Huangshan National Park.
  • Image may contain Building Nature Outdoors Architecture and Office Building
    Bence Bakonyi
    14

    bencebakonyi-segue-20.jpg

    Another rooftop view of Shanghai, China.
  • Image may contain Building Urban Town City Bridge and Architecture
    Bence Bakonyi
    15

    bencebakonyi-segue-19.jpg

    A rooftop view of Shanghai, China.
  • Image may contain Road
    Bence Bakonyi
    16

    bencebakonyi-segue-08.jpg

    A house in Dunhuang sits on the edge of a dusty road.
  • Image may contain Soil Trash and Ground
    Bence Bakonyi
    17

    bencebakonyi-segue-06.jpg

    Discarded piles of trash in Dunhuang, a city in China's northwest.
  • Image may contain Water Pool Resort Building Hotel Swimming Pool Waterfront Dock Port Pier and Outdoors
    Bence Bakonyi
    18

    bencebakonyi-segue-05.jpg

    A swimming pool in Jinshan, a suburb of Shanghai.
Read More
Wrongful Arrest Exposes Failures in One of the Oldest Police Face-Recognition Tools in the US
The ACLU is suing two Florida police departments over the arrest of a Fort Myers man in a child-abduction case, saying officers treated a flawed face-recognition match as a near-certain ID.
Dell Cameron
China Opens World’s First Wind-Powered Underwater Data Center
With an initial capacity of 24 megawatts, the innovative data center uses seawater as a natural cooling system.
Fernanda González
These Are the Best $400 Digital Notebooks
The newest Kindle Scribe means there are now three digital notebooks you can buy in the $400 price range. Here’s which one you should get.
Nena Farrell
The Best Kindles to Take Your Library Anywhere
I’ve tried every single Kindle. Here’s how Amazon’s ebook readers stack up.
Nena Farrell
Get the Most Out of Your iPad With These Accessories
Kit out your Apple tablet with our favorite stands, cases, keyboards, and styli.
Julian Chokkattu
Finally, Some Affordable Laptops That Won’t Fail You in College
Laptops for college should be portable, offer long battery life, and remain reasonably affordable. Based on testing hundreds of laptops, these are my top picks.
Luke Larsen
The Other Major Soccer Event of 2026? The Shake-Up in the World of Video Games
The 48-team World Cup is not the only historic soccer event this year. Four titans are vying for control of video game soccer in the fiercest battle the industry has ever seen.
Javier Rodríguez
This World Cup, You Can Watch the Game From a Ref’s Point of View
Referees for the 2026 World Cup will be wearing cameras positioned at their temples, allowing TV audiences to see a live view of the pitch from a vantage point they never have before.
Ben Dowsett
Amnesty International Warns That World Cup Fans Face Potential Human Rights Violations
The organization claims that the FIFA tournament could have impacts on the rights of local people and visiting soccer fans in all three host countries.
Fernanda González
Artificial Intelligence Sneaks Into the World Cup Thanks to Google Gemini
The Argentine national team will be Google’s test bench and technological showcase during the World Cup.
Rosa Jiménez Cano
How to Watch the 2026 World Cup
The games start June 11 and end with a grand finale in New Jersey on July 19. There are 104 of them. Here’s how to watch ’em all.
Boone Ashworth
The World Cup’s Trionda Ball Challenges Traditional Aerodynamics
According to new research, Trionda would show less unpredictable movements in actions such as corner kicks or free kicks. However, in powerful and long-distance clearances it would lose range.
Fernanda González