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The Regent International apartment building in Hangzhou, China, is
famous for having a number of inhabitants comparable to a small town,
around 20,000 people.
Located in Qianjiang Century City, Hangzhou’s central business district,
the S-shaped Regent International was originally designed as a luxury
hotel, but was subsequently converted into a colossal apartment
building, with the rooms turned into thousands of high-end residential
apartments. The impressive building is 206 m tall and has 36 to 39
floors, depending on what you’re side of it you’re on, and as any
self-contained community, features a variety of amenities and
businesses, like a giant food court for its tens of thousands of
inhabitants, as well as swimming pools, barber shops, nail salons,
medium-sized supermarkets, and internet cafes. You can find anything you
need in the building, so technically you don’t even need to go outside.
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Designed by Alicia Loo, the chief designer of the world’s second
seven-star hotel, the Singapore Sands Hotel, the Regent International
building was inaugurated in 2013, and quickly became one of the most
popular edifices in Hangzhou. The majority of its residents are young
professionals who recently graduated college or are about to graduate,
but you can also find young influencers as well as small businesses.
According to an article by Chinese news agency Sina, smaller apartments
without windows usually rent for around 1,500 RMB ($220) per month,
while larger units with balconies can rent for up to 4,000 RMB (550 USD)
per month or more. Judging by the bustling atmosphere, Regent
International has plenty of tenants.
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Offering more than 260,000 square meters of space, the Regent
International apartment building in Hangzhou is one of the largest of
its kind in China. The number of inhabitants has been a matter of debate
on Chinese social media, but judging by the number of rooms and the
number of floors, it is estimated that between 11,000 and 22,000 people
live in the building at any given time.
Photos and videos of the Regent International started going viral on
Western social media last month, with some posts racking up millions of
views. Most people are blown away by the number of inhabitants, with
some declaring that they grew up in towns with fewer people than what
the colossal building can accommodate.
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