Photo of the Goldin Finance 117 under construction in Tianjin, China.
Share and Follow

A GIANT skyscraper in China that has stood unfinished for nearly a decade is finally set to resume construction.

Work on Goldin Finance 117, nicknamed The Walking Stick due to its architectural shape, ground to an abrupt halt in 2015 amid financial woes.

Photo of the Goldin Finance 117 under construction in Tianjin, China.

Goldin Finance 117, which has stood unfinished for a decade, on September 8, 2015Credit: Getty
Aerial view of the unfinished Goldin Finance 117 skyscraper in Tianjin, China.

An aerial view of the Goldin Finance 117 in 2022Credit: Getty
Illustration comparing the height of Tianjin's abandoned skyscraper to other famous buildings.

The “ghost-scraper” has loomed large over the northern city of Tianjin ever since, with its future remaining up in the air.

Planned as a symbol of the country’s surging wealth when it broke ground in 2008, it would have been China’s tallest tower at the time.

Already topped out when construction hit a pause, it now holds the unenviable record of world’s tallest abandoned skyscraper.

At a whopping 1,959 feet, it is nearly twice as tall as The Shard.

Work on the £8billion project hit a pause following the 2015 Chinese stock market crash.

But the tower is now set to resume construction after 10 long years, according to Chinese state media.

However, it won’t get to claim the title as China‘s tallest building.

Two bigger skyscrapers, the Shanghai Tower and Shenzhen’s Ping An Finance Centre, have both been completed since.

Nevertheless, The Walking Stick’s vast heights will still make it the world’s sixth tallest building.

It would drop to eighth if the world record-targeting Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia and Dubai’s Burj Azizi are completed in the coming years.

Goldin Finance 117 is now projected to be finished by 2027, CNN has reported.

The tower was designed with “mega columns” to shield it against earthquakes and strong winds.

Plans also included a diamond-shaped atrium at the top with a swimming pool and observation deck.

It was also expected to contain offices and a five-star hotel on its higher floors.

But it is not known whether plans for the skyscraper’s use will remain unchanged.

Goldin Finance 117 is far from the only abandoned high rise to sit on China’s skylines.

China issued guidance in 2020 banning new skyscrapers over 500 metres (1,640 feet).

In central China, the Wuhan Greenland Centre had its planned height slashed from a planned 636 metres (2,087 ft) in 2018 while it was mid-construction.

Had it been completed as originally designed, it would have been the world’s second tallest tower at the time, only after Dubai’s Burj Khalifa.

In the end, it reached 476 metres (1,562 feet).

Work is also set to resume on the Chengdu Greenland Tower in the country’s south west, according to local state-owned media.

Construction on this planned 468 metre tall skyscraper has been paused since 2023.

The skylines of many of China’s biggest cities are dominated by vast towers like this.

Five of the 10 tallest completed buildings in the world are in China.

Aerial view of the unfinished Goldin Finance 117 skyscraper in Tianjin, China.

The tower was topped out in 2015 at a height of 597 m (1,959 ft)Credit: Getty
Share and Follow
You May Also Like

Julio Iglesias Refutes Sexual Abuse Allegations as ‘Completely Unfounded

Julio Iglesias, the renowned Grammy-winning artist, has firmly denied recent accusations of…

Florida Anti-ICE Protester Faces Legal Reckoning After Alleged Trooper Assault; Governor DeSantis Responds Firmly

Assaults against federal immigration officers are rarely seen in states with…

Political Shake-Up: Jenrick Criticizes Tory Stagnation as Farage Welcomes New Reform MP Amid Badenoch’s Controversial Dismissal

Nigel Farage introduced Robert Jenrick as the latest member of the Reform…

Iran’s Power Players: Unveiling the Secret Surge of Overseas Wealth Transfers

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent unveiled a robust package of new sanctions on…

Details Emerge on Renee Good’s Final Moments in Tragic ICE Encounter

Renee Nicole Good was discovered with four gunshot wounds, including one on…

Nobel Committee Responds to Venezuela’s Machado Presenting Peace Prize to Trump at White House

The Nobel committee has firmly reminded the public that its awards are…

Tom Homan Launches Bold Strategy to Publicly Identify and Challenge Left-Wing Agitators

Tom Homan, the White House Border Czar, has issued a stern…

Morning Brief: Unveiling the Viral Cabinet Phenomenon

Friday, January 16, 2026 Good morning! Welcome to RedState’s “Morning Minute,”…