June 10, 2025, 3:02 pm | Read time: 4 minutes

The ever-taller skyscrapers currently being built around the world are often more than just buildings. They are also status symbols, messages to the outside world, proverbial exclamation points made of concrete, steel, and glass in the super-cities of modern times. China now wants to set another one of these with the completion of a true mega-project. This refers to the Goldin Finance 117 skyscraper in the city of Tianjin. Construction had been halted for 10 years, but now it is expected to be completed within this decade. Other major projects in the Middle Kingdom are also resuming.

As reported by “CNN,” the 597-meter-high Goldin Finance 117 was once the prestige project of the Chinese port city of Tianjin. If completed on time, it would have been nothing less than the tallest building in the entire vast country. But in 2015, a severe crisis shook the Chinese stock market, driving the Hong Kong-based parent company Goldin Properties Holdings into bankruptcy. Its founder, Pan Sutong, once one of the richest men in China, had to file for insolvency. Thus, construction on the mega-tower came to a standstill. Like a harbinger of the crisis, it loomed unfinished in the city center of Tianjin.

A Sign of Strength

Now, however, the state-owned company BGI Engineering Consultants has entered the continuation of construction with a contract sum of 569 million yuan (nearly 70 million euros). Whether the tower will retain its old name, Goldin Finance 117, after completion is currently unclear. More importantly, though, is the sign of strength that China wants to send with the continuation of construction, not only to its population but also to the rest of the world. In 2020, the Chinese government banned the construction of skyscrapers over 500 meters tall. Nevertheless, work is also underway on the completion of a second super-tower in China.

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This refers to the Chengdu Greenland Tower in the city of Chengdu, which, at 468 meters tall, is no small fry. Construction had been halted since 2023. Qiao Shitong, a professor of law at Duke University School of Law in the U.S., told “CNN”: “The government wants to make it clear that it intends to stabilize the real estate market. By reviving and completing this project (Goldin Finance 117), they also hope to boost confidence among their own population.” In terms of large construction projects, China is already at the forefront worldwide.

The Race for Records Continues

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Of the 133 skyscrapers over 200 meters tall that were built around the globe last year, 91 are in China. The Goldin Finance 117 was supposed to be the crowning jewel of a massive project that included plans for villas, offices, a convention center, and a polo club around the tower. Whether these will now be realized is unclear. Experts like Qiao Shitong already doubt the project’s profitability: “Who is going to buy or rent this space?” However, the Goldin Finance 117 would likely still be a status symbol upon completion.

For now, it would rank as the sixth-tallest skyscraper in the world. In China, it is already only third behind the Shanghai Tower (632 meters) and the Ping An Finance Centre in Shenzhen (555 meters). Another player is already preparing to overshadow these superlatives. According to “CNN,” construction on the Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia resumed in 2024. Upon completion, it is expected to be one kilometer tall. Additionally, the Burj Azizi (planned at 725 meters) is currently under construction in Dubai.