Many villages in East China's Shandong province have seen an increasing number of deserted houses, which is not only a waste of land, but also an impediment to urbanization and the development of rural areas. In a Shandong village of 265 households, more than 100 out of the overall 371 homes are not in use, and 71 homes are unoccupied and have even become public dumps, according to Chinese media reports. The village is gradually becoming a ghost town.

Some reasons have been put forward for the emergence of these so-called hollow villages. First, some villagers apply to build new houses elsewhere, while still keeping their old homes. Second, some rural households that have moved to cities still keep their rural homes. Third, many villagers make efforts to occupy as many properties as possible, even though they don't use them all.

Statistics show that hollow villages now account for 20 to 30 percent of the villages in Shandong province.

Making better use of the land taken up by the hollow villages can increase farmers' incomes and promote urbanization in a sound way.