China has a thing for megacities. The country is building one megacity out of a nine-city region in the country's Pearl River Delta, two times farther north, and now, a megacity that could eclipse the entire population of most countries.

In its latest undertaking, the Chinese government has announced plans to make Beijing (current population: 20 million) the center of an 82,000 square mile megacity called Jing-Jin-Ji that will eventually have 130 million inhabitants. That will make it more populated than Japan by roughly 3 million people. 

In forming a new megacity, the idea is to marry the resources of each surrounding region: Beijing's deep pockets and research capabilities, Tianjin's port access to the Bohai Sea, and the technological developments in Hebei province. Newly formed highways and bridges, such as the one that links the central city of Yanjiao to Beijing, will connect the cities. 

“Наука и жизнь”