Flattening hills: making of new metropolis in China (3)

Before the Lanzhou New Area construction was kicked off earlier this month, it was Baidaoping Village. Little greenery can be spotted on the low-yielding loess land.

Most of 1,800 villagers lived on growing vegetables on small patches of land they reclaimed on the upland.

As the place is urbanized, it has been eyed as the most sought-after housing areas for Lanzhou citizens, which have been troubled by soaring housing prices resulted by the land crisis.

The city's planning department has pictured the new city area as a ladder-type town suitable for its upland landscape.

The large-scale land development project has attracted private developers including the Nanjing-based China Pacific Construction Group and the Guangdong Country Garden Holdings Group.

Yan Jiehe, chairman of the China Pacific Construction Group, said the company planned to spend six months leveling the hills before consolidating it for urban land development.

The company has signed an agreement with the Lanzhou municipal government to invest 20 billion yuan (3 billion U.S. dollars) for the development project.

Under the agreement, the government will pay back the fund with an additional 9 percent profit for the company after the land auction.