China's empty, unfinished skyscrapers find new lease on life

Plan for country's tallest tower scrapped in Shenzhen; rental housing eyed in Shanghai

Work on the 597-meter Goldin Finance 117 skyscraper in Tianjin stalled for roughly a decade before resuming in 2025. (Photo by Noriyuki Doi)

HONG KONG -- Some failed or abandoned skyscrapers in China are seeing new life under revitalization plans that use real estate investment trusts or other means to recoup investments, though demand prospects can remain uncertain in the country's tough property market.