One day, these futuristic high-rises will house the 250 million or so people the government hopes to move from villages into cities. For now, though, they remain all but empty. "They look like ghost towns," says photographer Aurelien Marechal. "They're suburbs in the middle of nowhere."

China's relocation plan is designed to give those in poor, rural areas access to healthcare, schools, and jobs. To entice people into the cities, the government is paying people for their land and subsidizing their housing in gargantuan towers that stand 40 stories or more.

Marechal, who has lived in Shanghai since 2012, noticed the developments during a train ride to Nanjing.