New satellite images show the demolition of Tangjialing

New satellite images in the recent round of updates for Google Earth included extensive updates in Beijing. This is particularly interesting because it shows the transformation of an area known as Tangjialing in northwestern Beijing (Haidian District).

If you had visited the Tangjialing community a year ago, you would have seen a neighborhood typical of the ones on the outskirts of Beijing. If you visit it today, you see this:

The ruins of Tangjialing, March 2011

Currently, Google Earth has images from October, 2010, that show the demolition of Tangjialing in only a matter of months. The village goes from being completely intact in May to mostly demolished in October, and most of the buildings visible in the October images are gone now. Panoramio images suggest that even going into summer, Tangjialing was still a functioning community.

If the former residents weren't satisfied with their living conditions there, and they were compensated fairly for their relocation, then this development would seem like a win-win. Otherwise, that's a few thousand more people resenting the guys at the top whose policies are rapidly reshaping Beijing's urban landscape.

A KML file outlining the most recent image updates around the world can be downloaded at:
mw1.google.com/mw-earth-vectordb/Imagery_Updates/imagery_updates.kml

You can track image updates for a specific location at:
followyourworld.appspot.com