Gallery: Full-Tilt Communism Is Alive and Well in the Tiny Chinese Village of Nanjie

  • Image may contain Urban Town Building Downtown City Architecture Metropolis Human Person Vladimir Lenin and Floor
    Tim Fenby
    01

    13

    Portraits of Lenin, Stalin, Marx and Engels line Nanjie's main square.
  • Image may contain Joseph Stalin Human Person Transportation Vehicle Motorcycle Motor Scooter Vespa Flag and Symbol
    Tim Fenby
    02

    15

    A Chinese tourist snaps a photo of a Stalin monument.
  • Image may contain Human Person Tarmac Asphalt and Road
    Tim Fenby
    03

    16

    A construction project near the visitor's center in Nanjie.
  • Image may contain Human Person Flagstone Footwear Shoe Clothing Apparel Garden Arbour Outdoors Coat and Overcoat
    Tim Fenby
    04

    14

    While in the greenhouse, a Chinese tourist asked if she could photograph Fenby. As she did, several other tourists took the opportunity to snap a picture of Fenby for themselves. "I don't know who was more amused, them or me," he says.
  • Image may contain Advertisement Billboard and Symbol
    Tim Fenby
    05

    9

    An imposing monument greets visitors at the entrance to Nanjie.
  • Image may contain Garden Outdoors Animal and Mammal
    Tim Fenby
    06

    5

    A stately camel sculpture towers above the plants in Nanjie's greenhouse.
  • Image may contain Clothing Apparel Human Person Fashion Gown Robe Female Plant Wedding Evening Dress and Woman
    Tim Fenby
    07

    17

    A couple poses for their wedding photographs in Nanjie's greenhouse.
  • Image may contain Human Person Clothing Apparel and Flagstone
    Tim Fenby
    08

    11

    A Chinese tourist admires a replica of Mao Zedong's former residence.
  • Image may contain Animal Mammal Wallaby Kangaroo Wildlife Antelope Dog Pet and Canine
    Tim Fenby
    09

    10

    Kangaroo sculptures congregate in a corner of Nanjie's greenhouse.
  • Image may contain Building Architecture Temple Human Person Shrine Worship Tower Spire Steeple and Pagoda
    Tim Fenby
    10

    4

    A replica of Ya'nan Tower. The original is located in Ya'nan, a city in Shaanxi province considered the birthplace of the Maoist revolution.
  • Image may contain Transportation Vehicle Automobile Car Truck and Fire Truck
    Tim Fenby
    11

    1

    Nanjie offers red bus tours that take travelers to all its main attractions.
  • Image may contain Human Person Advertisement and Billboard
    Tim Fenby
    12

    12

    A local stands beside a mural of Mao Zedong adorning one of Nanjie's factories.
  • Image may contain Plant Bush Vegetation Animal and Reptile
    Tim Fenby
    13

    2

    A dinosaur sculpture sits among the tropical plants within Nanjie's massive greenhouse.
  • Image may contain City Town Downtown Urban Building Architecture Human Person Office Building Hotel and Car
    Tim Fenby
    14

    6

    School children in Nanjie line up at the start of the day.
Read More
Ebay Has to Pay $55.7 Million in Settlement for Its Unhinged Harassment Campaign
For months on end, eBay employees and contractors made life hell for a couple that had criticized the company. Six years later, the company is finally paying up.
Lauren Goode
Laura Loomer’s Reversal on Ukraine Stirs Up the MAGA Civil War
Donald Trump’s base has been increasingly spilt. Laura Loomer’s sudden embrace of Ukraine has only widened that divide.
David Gilbert
Is the Electric Trike the Next Big Thing in Shared Micromobility?
Veo is launching accessibility-focused electric tricycles in Denver, with plans to put its e-trikes on the streets nationwide.
Boone Ashworth
What WIRED Writers Would Actually Give Their Moms
Your mom never gets you a thoughtless gift, so you shouldn’t get her one, either. Here’s every cool gift WIRED writers would give their mothers.
Nena Farrell
Which Apple Watch Should You Buy?
Should you splurge on the new Series 11, or will the SE 3 do? Let us help you figure out which version to get (and which to avoid).
Boutayna Chokrane
12 Adventurous Gifts for Hikers, Backpackers, and Outdoorsy People
Let them pick out their own hiking boots. Instead, try gifting a useful blade or a nature journal to delight your outdoorsy friend.
Scott Gilbertson
A Two-Person Startup Has Fixed One of the Most Hated Sounds in Modern Life
Beeeep. Beeeep. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.
Jeremy White
Can the New York Times Save Journalism From Our AI Overlords?
In 2023, the Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement. They’ve since spent more than $20 million on the case, and publisher A.G. Sulzberger has no plans to stop fighting it.
Katie Drummond
Silicon Valley’s Next IPO Billionaires Are Coming. Nonprofits Are Ready for Them
Anthropic and OpenAI employees are expected to give generously after their companies go public. “It’s going to be a wild ride,” says one nonprofit leader.
Paresh Dave
The Dyson V16 Piston Animal Can Do It All
Dyson’s new stick vacuum can vacuum and mop in a single cordless device—if you’re willing to really splurge.
Nena Farrell
‘They’re Fucking a Lot of People’: 7-OH Users Brace for DEA Ban
The opioid-like compound, which is found in kratom, can cause brutal withdrawal symptoms and will soon be a controlled substance. Some users tell WIRED it has relieved their pain and anxiety.
Manisha Krishnan
An Extreme Solar Storm May Be Even More Devastating Than Previously Imagined
Scientists have long assumed that there’s an upper limit to the intensity of the solar winds that reach Earth. New research suggests there’s not—and the implications are alarming.
Javier Carbajal