- 7 months ago
In this episode of Mystery Places, we visit a luxury survival condo in Kansas, a minefield in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the King Cobra Village in Thailand. We also explore the abandoned “fake” pentagon on the outskirts of Shanghai, and the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
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00:00Hidden traces of the past and extraordinary locations of the present in this episode of Mystery Places.
00:10The most luxurious bunker in the United States of America.
00:16The most dangerous minefield in Europe, a former Olympic competition site.
00:22Dancing with Death, the village of the Cobras in Thailand.
00:28A strange deserted shopping center in the shape of a Pentagon right in the middle of Shanghai.
00:39And inside the UN headquarters, we also find baffling spots and look behind the scenes.
00:46All this now on Mystery Places.
00:53We start our trip in Kansas, USA.
00:57Here we meet the creator of what is said to be the safest place in the world.
01:03We're not allowed to reveal the precise address, as people are constantly trying to break in.
01:10We had other people show up with guns and our guns were bigger than their guns and they got arrested.
01:16It's a serious business.
01:21We arrive after a half hour drive through a land devoid of people.
01:25First impression, a maximum security prison. Cameras and heavily armed guards everywhere.
01:32You'll see the level of security when we get out here. It's nothing to be messing with.
01:39If you're starting to climb the fence and damage the property and try to hurt people that are there, we can shoot back.
01:46How are you doing? Do you guys have your ID's on you?
01:49Yeah.
01:50You don't have any weapons or any bombs or any dead bodies or anything on board, do you?
01:54No.
01:55You wouldn't mind if I pat you down before you come in just to make sure you don't have anything on you?
01:58No problem. I can't get out of the car.
01:59Alright, if you'd step out of the vehicle, I'd appreciate it.
02:02We are checked from head to toe.
02:05This is how every visitor is welcomed, no matter who they are.
02:09At least two members of security staff continuously monitor the site.
02:14They can even arrest people in coordination with the police.
02:22But what is so valuable?
02:24The answer is in here.
02:26In a disused nuclear missile solo from the Cold War, which owner Larry Hall has turned into a luxury residential complex.
02:34Here the inhabitants should be able to survive any kind of catastrophe.
02:40What's known as the luxury survival condo extends across 14 storeys under the ground and offers space for up to 75 people.
02:49There's a pool, a cinema, a doctor's surgery, a supermarket and much more here.
02:56An autonomous town spread out over 17,000 square meters.
03:01If you have enough pocket money, 1.2 million euros is all you need.
03:06Residential level 5.
03:12Larry spends most of his life down here.
03:14As the founder of the complex, he is responsible for the safety of all the apartment owners.
03:20Each morning he checks whether a catastrophe is imminent.
03:24Through his former job in the government and NASA, he knows the secret websites that provide him with such information.
03:30Today we have a 45% chance of an X flare, which is the strongest rated solar flares.
03:38These are the kind of flares that with a coronal mass ejection and it's pointed towards the earth right now.
03:45So we're keeping our eye on this because we're in a kind of a danger situation there.
03:50That could definitely impact a lot of people globally.
03:53The bunker is fitted with a specially developed alarm system.
03:58Each of the residents has an app that informs him immediately of possible danger.
04:03Yellow indicates a possible catastrophe.
04:06And red means that all residents should immediately head to the bunker.
04:10The solar storm could change the alarm from green to yellow.
04:18Despite the threat, Larry has an appointment for viewing with a potential buyer.
04:24Dawn Snyder has three children and is looking for safe accommodation if catastrophe should strike.
04:30Larry wants to show her that she wouldn't need to go without any comforts here.
04:37Is that easy to open then?
04:38Very easy, yeah. But it's also very protective.
04:42A pool and spa area behind steel doors is intended to provide the necessary distraction for the residents
04:48and stave off depression during prolonged stays.
04:53Larry has sought advice from psychologists on how life down here can be made as normal as possible.
04:58You can get a cup of coffee in the morning, come up here, be around some trees, have some high volume ceilings.
05:05If you have any little dogs, we've got a pet park over here.
05:09Provisions are also made for any little deposits left by the residents' four-legged friends.
05:16An anti-odour spray keeps the air at the neighbouring climbing wall clean.
05:21The guided tour continues, eight stories underground.
05:24Down here, a library awaits for the people to read and while away their time.
05:30Next to it is another project that is close to Larry's heart.
05:34He has even thought about the education of the children in the event of a catastrophe.
05:38We envision the moms maybe coming down here and being next door while the kids are in the classroom over here.
05:46A digital classroom.
05:48Dawn's children could go to school here one day.
05:51They would learn on computers on which an extensive digital library and even parts of the internet are stored.
05:59And teachers, instructors, you have that on site then?
06:03Yes.
06:04You rotate. You will be a teacher for one month. I will be a teacher for one month.
06:09In the event of a disaster when the bunker is closed, each resident must spend four hours a day working in different jobs.
06:17Dawn would have to regularly teach her own children.
06:20According to psychologists, the rotating jobs should help the residents cope with the confinement.
06:26And now the luxury apartment. Here Dawn could live with her children.
06:30The entire floor measures around 170 square meters and offers space for up to 10 people.
06:37Price point, around 2.5 million euros.
06:40And it's so luxurious that you don't even need to be able to see outside.
06:44And what is this?
06:46Those are electronic windows. Those let you know that you are not underground.
06:51Everything has these electronic iPads that let you control what you have. So we're in this room.
07:02You could say these are the windows onto the outside world.
07:07You can choose between three cameras that are installed outside or other programs.
07:11At any rate, Dawn seems to be impressed by the features of the apartment.
07:19Next best thing. If it's not safe to go outside, at least to be able to look out.
07:28At the end of the viewing, Dawn is sure she could imagine living down here.
07:33The world out there no longer feels safe to her.
07:37What are we scared of? And just the world falling apart.
07:42And I think it's every day we get closer and closer to it.
07:46And I feel better already knowing, you know, we're planning for our future and for our safety and we're going to be okay.
07:55Larry now has to make all the preparations for a possible solar storm.
08:01Mark Minoski will help him. They have known each other for 15 years.
08:06Larry developed the concept for the bunker with him.
08:09Mark also spends most of his time down here.
08:13The solar storm could cut the power supply, so they check the diesel generators.
08:18We have 20,000 gallons of diesel fuel stored underground.
08:25Let's open up the generators and check their status.
08:29The bunker is equipped with two of these high-performance generators,
08:33which can produce electricity for at least two and a half years.
08:36I'm going to put it back in the automatic mode so that if there is a power outage, it will be available for service.
08:51But Larry and Mark are ready not just for solar storms.
08:55They have devised solutions for all possible catastrophes.
08:59Especially important the air the residents will breathe.
09:02Various filter systems protect against air affected by nuclear or biochemical contamination.
09:09A project that lies very close to Mark's heart can be found three stories down.
09:14The aquaponic system.
09:16The name refers to a technique used to produce fish and crop plants underground.
09:21A self-sustaining water and nutrient cycle.
09:26The system is the centerpiece of the bunker.
09:28Mark wants to cultivate over 70 different varieties of vegetable here.
09:34For each vegetable, there is a different light frequency, and so sunlight becomes unnecessary.
09:40If one were to live permanently in the bunker, the inhabitants would be supplied from here with fresh foods.
09:46Even fish are included.
09:48Until that happens, we go on shopping tour in the bunker's own supermarket,
09:52which offers a huge range of different meals, all of which can be kept for 25 years.
09:59Maybe for lunch we'll have, or for dinner, we'll have chicken.
10:03So we'll get some chicken here.
10:07Chicken and rice sound good.
10:12Shopping here is somewhat different than in normal supermarkets.
10:15Mark is particularly proud of that.
10:19It's almost like you see in the Star Trek series where there's no money changed hands.
10:26When the people buy into this condo concept, everything here is included as part of the basic survival package.
10:37It's a free supermarket.
10:39That's not completely true.
10:45The residents actually have to pay a monthly flat rate of up to 4,000 euros for incidental expenses.
10:55Upstairs, Larry checks the prison cell with the head of security.
10:59In closed mode, the law of the state of Kansas applies here in the bunker.
11:04And residents who break the law can also be locked up.
11:14People have good days, people have bad days.
11:16And when you have up to 75 people in close quarters, you know, somebody could have a bad day.
11:22All of the advisors and the design team thought that it was very prudent to have a time-out room for adults.
11:30So we can bring people in here and let them cool out.
11:35Larry's luxury bunker is not only protected against catastrophes.
11:39It is protected with an electric fence, by dozens of high-resolution security cameras, and by a remote-controlled drone.
11:46Larry can monitor and control all of this from a room underground.
11:54Today, a suspicious vehicle attracts his attention.
11:58Hey, Mark. Hey.
12:00Hey, can you come on in?
12:03I got a choice.
12:05Okay. Hi.
12:09Steven is responsible for security across the whole site.
12:12I did see some other activity at the end of the driveway down here.
12:17Some other vehicles came by.
12:19Do you want to check with the guard on duty up there and see if there's any cars looking around, if they've been coming or going?
12:30Sure.
12:31Steven sets off with one of the two military vehicles, each weighing over 10 tons.
12:45This means that, in the event of a catastrophe, residents could be brought from one bunker into the other.
12:51Today, Steven is using it as a reconnaissance vehicle.
12:54Anything suspicious that could be of any danger?
12:58That could be people laying in the field here with military gear, any gear, a rifle.
13:04Did you ever have that happen?
13:07No comment.
13:09The security team works closely with the police.
13:13They can even take people into custody.
13:16They also have access to the police radio.
13:18The car features shooting hatches and is fully equipped with various weapons.
13:34Steven spent a long time in the US Army.
13:37After he returned from Iraq, he accepted a job from Larry around a year ago.
13:42He takes his job very seriously.
13:44We don't break any laws, but we're prepared for whatever happens.
13:51If we're not worried about safety, we wouldn't have any security, because security is safety.
13:55I don't know, I guess it's just in my blood is what I do.
13:59Today, apart from a few farmers in the field, there were no anomalies.
14:05Everything has been quiet this evening for his colleagues at the gate, too.
14:09In the event of a catastrophe, Steven would have to stay outside.
14:13He cannot afford the luxury bunker.
14:16Nevertheless, he would perform his duties until the end.
14:23Well, I'll stay here until we get all the residents in, butting in, taken care of.
14:28You know, when chaos hits, war, everything else, you see so many people going, everybody's out for themselves.
14:34There's got to be some kind of humanity.
14:37While Mark has dinner, Larry phones his young son.
14:41He sold his house, car, and much more for the bunker.
14:45He has created a safe place above all for his family.
14:49However, during term time, his son lives six hours away in Denver.
14:53Hey, Luke.
14:55Hi.
14:57Well, anyway, I'm going to be home on Thursday.
14:59What else, what else do you want to do while I'm home?
15:02I may do indoor soccer.
15:03Mark makes himself comfortable alone in the bunker cinema, 13 stories underground.
15:14The alarm system is on green, no danger today.
15:18And so Larry is out enjoying the heavenly sunset over Kansas.
15:22Sheer luxury and safety, and glittering future prospects.
15:26This is a thousand year structure.
15:30It will just be here forever.
15:33And so ends the day, at one of the world's safest places.
15:42Our next mysterious place is located in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
15:47This bobsleigh run is located in the most dangerous minefield in Europe.
15:52The Olympic facilities are found on the outskirts of the capital, Sarajevo.
15:57Even today, people continue to die here.
16:011984, it was about the Olympic medals.
16:06For Sarajevo, it was a big event.
16:09And this is one of the few places left here today.
16:13The tranquility is deceptive.
16:15There is a danger of explosions.
16:18Our reporter Johannes is not allowed to move around here without a guide.
16:21Raza Mesanovic grew up in Sarajevo.
16:24Hello.
16:25Hi, Johannes.
16:26Raza, it's nice to meet you.
16:27It's nice to meet you.
16:28Me too.
16:29Raza, I have to admit, this has something crazy here.
16:35As you can see, it's a real ruin.
16:39It's just so relaxed.
16:41No one cares about it.
16:43That's right, from the Olympic glow there is a little left.
16:46Not at all.
16:48This is still a life-threatening place, after all.
16:56Things were quite different back in 1984.
16:59The Winter Olympic Games long considered the best organised ever.
17:03The GDR was at the top of the medals table.
17:07The former Yugoslavia was peaceful, but it would not last for long.
17:15Today, the ground behind the ice track is full of mines.
17:18For a reason.
17:20Sarajevo in 1992.
17:23Bosnia and Herzegovina want independence from Yugoslavia.
17:27The Serbian supremacy tries to prevent this at all costs.
17:31The result?
17:32100.000 deaths in three years.
17:39Raza and Johannes are at the bobsleigh run.
17:41One false step could result in death.
17:45Do people still die through mines?
17:48Of course.
17:49This is a big problem in Bosnia.
17:51About 20-50 people die per year die in mines.
17:55That's a heartbreaking feeling.
18:01Although clearing work is in high gear, detecting every last mine is a Sisyphean task.
18:08The country will not be completely safe until 2019 at least.
18:12Until then, you should never enter the forests of Sarajevo without a guide.
18:16On the bobsleigh run, Johannes and Raza are now entering what was a strategically important point during the war.
18:27The start.
18:28This was the site of a fierce battle.
18:33It's crazy.
18:34You walk through the woods, you see only rain, and then from nothing...
18:38... comes!
18:39Yes, then the Bobbahn comes.
18:41Are these all the signs of the war?
18:43Yes, from the war.
18:44It's unique.
18:46Built as a sporting facility, the place would be used as a base for military operations only a few years later.
18:56The very grounds on which sporting successes were celebrated in the 80s turned into a fierce battleground in the 90s.
19:05Although the bobsleigh run is now overgrown, it offered the best view and protection during the war.
19:10The army used the ice track as a trench from which to fire.
19:20An Olympic restaurant near the facility shows the bizarre panoramic view of the bosnian capital even today.
19:28Even today.
19:29What a look!
19:30What a look!
19:31Yeah, the view is nice, but the rest isn't.
19:35This was here actually during Olympia a restaurant.
19:39This was a really great restaurant.
19:41It worked very well.
19:43It worked very well.
19:44Now the war was pretty good.
19:45Of course, the war was pretty good.
19:46Look at this.
19:47You can see even on the wall the walls of the fire.
19:51The bobsleigh track is the only safe place to walk today.
20:00Everywhere else there is a risk of explosive mines.
20:03You should not roam the woods without a guide.
20:06We would have liked to have visited the ski jump, but the safe paths disappear under snow.
20:11It's too dangerous.
20:12The wounds of the Bosnian people are slow to heal.
20:18The Olympic ruins have long since become a memorial site for them.
20:23Local graffiti artists help keep the memory of that terrible time alive.
20:28And that's not likely to change any time soon.
20:33Are there any plans for the factory?
20:36No plans.
20:37The Bosnian people wait for a better time.
20:43Better times would mean an investor, but there are none.
20:47And demolition is too expensive as well as too dangerous at the moment.
20:55From Sarajevo to Thailand, where we discover a mysterious location full of fearful creatures.
21:02A village hidden in the forest.
21:06In front of every house, the mysterious boxes.
21:11Stacked up on top of each other and tightly closed.
21:15They may look unimportant, but inside each box is every resident's greatest source of wealth.
21:21And at the same time, their greatest foe.
21:32King Cobras.
21:33Their scientific name, Ophiophagus hana, means snake eater.
21:38Like cannibals, they prey almost solely on their own kind.
21:43They are the world's largest poisonous snakes.
21:45Their venom can kill humans within just a few hours.
21:49They are feared and avoided all over the world.
21:52But here in the northeast of Thailand, in the village of the King Cobras, they are the center of life.
21:57One thousand species of snakes live close to the village, and their presence can be felt all around it.
22:07Snake fighters enter the ring on a weekly basis to fight what they fear the most.
22:11Three people lost their lives last year, taking part in this tradition.
22:30Tam was in a coma for two weeks.
22:32The doctors had given up on him, and he had been declared dead by the local press.
22:37But he lived.
22:38A medical miracle that just two years ago nobody believed in.
22:45Like his father and grandfather before him, the Thais spent his childhood fighting King Cobras.
22:53He was one of the most talented fighters in the village.
22:56But the bite changed him.
22:59Tam used to be slender and athletic, until one day he made a near-fatal mistake.
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25:36Tam will also compete tomorrow. It will be the first time since the last bite by Nong Nim is King Cobra.
25:44Tam goes into the forest to get the anti-venin before every show.
25:48There is no doctor or pharmacy in the entire village.
25:52A long time ago the Thais discovered a root in the forest called Wanjapu and swear by it as an anti-venin.
26:00Doctors are skeptical of its effect, yet the villagers believe that it gives them time.
26:06If they are bidden, they have to travel to the clinic, which is 45 minutes away.
26:30They have to travel to the clinic.
26:33They have to travel to the clinic.
26:36They have to travel to the clinic.
26:39They have to travel to the clinic.
26:42The actual anti-serum, which is made from snake venom and which inactivates the venom from a bite,
26:48can only be administered by doctors.
26:51But what happens to a body when it is bitten?
26:54The poison attacks the nervous system, among other things.
26:57It attacks the synapses, which are the points of contact between neurons and other cells.
27:02If they are impaired, then no information can be relayed, which leads to paralysis.
27:09The lymphatic system spreads the venom throughout the body.
27:13At the beginning of the poisoning, cranial nerves are attacked.
27:17That's why the eyelids, facial muscles, tongue and throat are the first to be crippled.
27:21If the venom spreads further, the respiratory muscles are also paralyzed.
27:26The bite victim is in danger of suffocating.
27:30In the meantime, the village has turned the snake infestation into a business.
27:35While some grow the anti-venin root, others like the trader Yod travel to neighboring villages to sell the root as a remedy.
27:43The neighboring towns don't have as many snakes as the village of the king cobras.
27:48But as is typical for Eastern Thailand, superstition and alternative healing methods are also deeply rooted here.
27:56Yod always has his king cobra with him, in order to carry out the job of educating, as he puts it.
28:03He earns around 250 euros per month selling his remedies.
28:07Even today, the first customer has already taken the bait.
28:15The woman pays roughly 1 euro 25 for the route.
28:40The fear of reptiles is great, and as experience shows us, there's also a reason for it.
29:10On the other hand, our camera team was surprised at just how calmly the villagers confronted a tiger python slithering through their village.
29:18The women and children don't care. Constrictors may not be poisonous, but they are capable of breaking all the bones of a man.
29:28A call to the snake hunter known throughout the village. Every day he catches about 10 snakes that get into the villagers' homes.
29:36Once again, it's made quite clear that every job in the village has some connection with all the snakes around.
29:43The cobra fighters have easily the most dangerous job. While Tam sets out with his king cobra for the first time in two years, numerous spectators gradually begin to meet at the stage.
30:04The village isn't advertised in the travel guide, because visitors to the fight are mainly Thais and locals who attach a certain spiritual meaning to the fights.
30:14Before the show, Tam and his oldest colleague, Komtai show us that the animals aren't milked before the fight.
30:26In other words, their venom glands are still full.
30:33We have to take care of each other. If we take care of each other, if we take care of each other, we can take care of each other.
30:46Komtai has been fighting with cobras for 59 years, and he has been bitten 21 times.
30:53In this part of the world, limbs are frequently and too quickly amputated after snake bites, because they swell up.
31:00The venom may damage the tissue, but amputations are rarely necessary in the case of subsequent infections.
31:07Before every fight, Tam is the only fighter to put on a vest. It offers him an additional layer of protection.
31:16If the cobra bites the chest, he hopes that its teeth will get caught in this mesh.
31:22The first fight begins.
31:29The 69-year-old Komtai is ahead of him.
31:32The oldest man in the village claims to be immune to snake venom by now.
31:38If he's bit, he no longer goes to the hospital, but simply sucks out the poison.
31:50Whether this is true, nobody knows.
31:52After all, there's no scientific evidence that a person can become completely immune after being bitten many times.
32:02Tam knows he is not immune.
32:05He almost didn't survive the last bite.
32:07It was Nong Nim, this King Cobra.
32:10It's allowed to drink once before the fight and to cool down.
32:14Then it's down to business.
32:16The goal of the fight is to last one and a half months and the goal of the fight is to last one and a half minutes and for a long time to join.
32:22The goal of the fight is to last one-and-a-half minutes with the snake that bit Tam and sent him into a coma two years ago.
32:50King Cobras don't usually attack humans out in nature, but since here on the stage they're continuously provoked by movement, they start a mock attack or a defensive bite.
33:04In this case the snake doesn't really bite. The Cobra doesn't have many natural enemies and doesn't want to waste its venom.
33:13That's why it will only bite at the place where it registered the last movement.
33:18The marking shows Tam's last position where he provoked the snake, and in fact the King Cobra goes no further.
33:27Eye contact is important. Tam has to recognize when the snake will attack in order to leap out of the way at the right moment.
33:36If the Cobra is serious about biting, it would not flare its hood into a threatening position, but would rather creep up.
33:45Then Tam would have no chance of dodging the fangs.
33:51Three fighters lost their lives this way.
33:55Tam's weight does not work to his advantage in fights.
33:58After the last bite, the 25-year-old put on 10 kilos because of the infusions.
34:04At the high point of the fight, the 25-year-old is supposed to kiss the snake. It's the critical moment at which last time he was bitten.
34:13The spectators are thrilled and give money. In the meantime, the fighting rituals have become the village's greatest source of income.
34:28Getting the next generation excited about the village tradition is all the more important for them.
34:34The youngest fighter is called Focus and is four years old. The beauty rat snake isn't poisonous, but it is aggressive.
34:44The vicious but harmless snake is meant to teach him that a bite only hurts for a little while, and it also helps him get rid of his fear.
34:53Yet the fear remains throughout life. For nobody knows when the next King Cobra will bite.
35:04The next mysterious place is located in Shanghai.
35:11Even satellite images show that there is a building in China's metropolis that looks like the US Department of Defense, the Pentagon.
35:21The comparison makes it clear. The Chinese copy is almost as big as the original.
35:27Why did the Chinese copy an American government building? And what's inside?
35:34It's 24 million inhabitants make Shanghai one of the largest cities in the world.
35:41We drove far into the eastern part of the city on our search for the Chinese Pentagon, a rural area.
35:48People here know the building very well.
35:50The building is known by the name Wu Xiaodalu in China. Literally translated, it means five-corner building. We want to ask about it in this restaurant. But why is it so empty here, although it's lunchtime?
36:07The building changed the lives of many people here in the region. We follow directions given at the restaurant and in the region. The building changed the lives of many people here in the region.
36:20We follow directions given at the restaurant and end up in front of this gate. Although the Chinese version is not as well secured as the US original, the flags are waving inside just like at the US Department of Defense.
36:33Since we can't find an entrance, we unpack our drone. We want to get a more accurate picture of things from above.
36:47The dimensions only become evident from the air. At 500,000 square meters, the Chinese copy of the Pentagon is almost as big as the original. An area the size of 70 feet.
37:02But we don't see any people from above. Even the gigantic car park is empty. We finally find an open gate in the east wing and drive around.
37:09The dimensions only become evident from the air. At 500,000 square meters, the Chinese copy of the Pentagon is almost as big as the original. An area the size of 70 football fields.
37:21But we don't see any people from above. Even the gigantic car park is empty. We finally find an open gate in the east wing and drive around.
37:31To our surprise, this takes us to a large supermarket. Shopping at the Pentagon? Indeed. But bizarre images await us here too. No shoppers. Empty aisles and shelves.
37:46The supermarket management is watching us skeptically. We thus continue shooting with a hidden camera.
37:53We don't need to be able to buy any products from abroad. We don't need to buy any products. We don't need to buy any products. We don't need to buy any products.
38:08Forklift driver Jin Lui has worked here since the Pentagon came into being. We want to find out more from him.
38:15His house was right where the Pentagon now stands. He sold it for a lot of money. This was actually supposed to become a huge shopping center. But…
38:25The construction project has already swallowed 180 million euros. There were supposed to be luxury shops here in a new super mall. But the plan didn't work out.
38:48We are still accompanying Jin Lui when security suddenly appears in front of us. Camera crews are not welcome here, we are told. We must leave the premises immediately.
38:55The security guard prohibits us from returning and threatened, and threatening to call the police.
39:21New day, new attempt. We want to find out what else is in the building—
39:24what else is in the building and why it's been abandoned we send another team to the pentagon
39:29and get inside through a side entrance broken glass smeared walls this looks nothing like the
39:37pentagon the lifts don't work escalators out of order apart from the supermarket the huge building
39:44is empty but is someone there no security this time but who's the man with the camera
39:54hi you know
40:12zian ji jo works as an account manager and is a photo blogger in his spare time
40:18we follow him into the mall's underground parking area not a single car is parked
40:23in the oversized parking garage the empty parking garage is constantly filled with
40:38the sounds of western music although there's nobody here but it gets even stranger a gigantic
40:45unused area endless corridors and an infrastructure that is gradually falling into disrepair
40:53the power outlets are in working order almost everywhere
41:03the sanitary facilities however are out of order
41:10alongside all the garbage we suddenly discover a chic office the locking system makes funny noises though
41:16even after waiting for some time we do not find the owner of the office
41:36zian ji chao tells us that ghost malls like these are not uncommon in china
41:41another ghost mall is located in dongguan in southern china it looks even worse in ordos where an entire
41:49town is empty the main reasons for the failed construction projects massive overestimation of the market
41:56situation and lack of government controls the operators have badly miscalculated in the case of the pentagon too
42:03and the empty building continues to incur costs
42:20we make our way to the center of the pentagon the huge inner courtyard is beautifully maintained
42:27the plants have been trimmed and it still looks quite tidy despite years of lying fallow
42:34what are these visitors waiting for
42:35this year asia's biggest disney world is scheduled to complete construction at
42:53a distance of eight kilometers from the pentagon building and is expected to attract millions of
42:59visitors to the region it is currently still a building construction site however
43:03amateur photographer zian ji chao also hopes disney world will attract more visitors
43:22shanghai's empty pentagon whether the new theme park impacts the letting situation in the monumental
43:28building complex only the future will tell until then this place will remain an exceptional lost place
43:39after watching a copied american building we visit an original one in new york
43:4639 stories a total area of 69 000 square meters and several thousand employees the united nations
43:54headquarters is an essential part of new york skyline yet the united nations isn't located on american
44:01territory at all and inside there are several baffling spots arcane old phone booths a security door
44:11and what does austria have to do with the un secretary general ban ki moon main objectives of un in new york
44:20ensuring world peace and collaboration between nations the un headquarters is located in midtown manhattan
44:27on the site of a former slaughterhouse john d rockefeller donated the land to the international
44:32organization in 1946 but why is it nevertheless not located on american territory let's take a closer look
44:42here it looks like a heavily guarded border fences cameras armed security personnel the un is extraterritorial
44:54it officially does not belong to any nation
44:59the un even maintains its own small police force they are also responsible for hoisting the 193 flags of
45:07the member states every morning at eight o'clock officer juan reyes has been working here for 15 years
45:16sometimes we have a lot of demonstrations going on where you have to use some force
45:20um and as well as demonstrations that come from outside coming in but it's very rare is there
45:27we have some instances where we had i don't know if you heard uh back in 2003 or 2004 there was a shootout
45:35here in the united nations where korean national came in and do some shootout
45:39every visitor to the un has to go through this security check at the entrance just like at the
45:45airport they have to pass through an x-ray machine and hand over dangerous objects such as knives
45:54the un even has its own post office its main distinctive feature
45:58only here you can buy your own un stamps and send mail with a un postmark
46:06directly below here in the un's basement is the fire station
46:11it is made up of a handful of firefighters with exceptionally professional equipment
46:16they extinguish small blazes themselves the new york city fire department is only called in
46:22next we'll take a look at what is probably the best known part of the un building the general
46:28assembly once a year all 193 member nations gather here for official proceedings
46:36the first surprise comes right away in the entry area why is there a set of stairs here that is
46:42obviously prohibited from use
46:46it connects the entry area with the main entrance to the general assembly
46:50it doesn't look dilapidated so why is there a protective grating
46:55verna schmidt who's responsible for architecture at the un knows the answer
47:00he reveals to us that the stairs were built this way on purpose
47:03it's true if you take normal steps you'll quickly lose your balance on the extremely long stairs
47:26that's why they're opened only once a year for the general assembly
47:35these doors lead to the general assembly's official ceremonies
47:39the un's largest hall has space for over 1 800 people
47:45every year from september to december representatives of all member nations meet here
47:51for example to adopt resolutions more or less every politician of note has been a guest speaker here
48:00for example then president of the soviet union nikita khrushchev's angry outbursts are legendary
48:09fidel castro of cuba held the longest speech to date here in 1960
48:13it was four and a half hours long and the former president of palestine arafat is said to have once
48:21appeared at the lectern with a loaded revolver the seating arrangement of the individual countries is
48:28alphabetical right at the front there's the next exciting un fact this meter tall golden wall
48:36it's 230 square meters long and completely covered in gold leaf the original design that was on the
48:48one so reflektierende teller das seien wenig aus wie an einem raumschiff und als es dann los ging
48:53mit dem fernsehen war das unmöglich weil es so reflektiert hat dass man überhaupt nichts mehr sehen
48:59konnte und so kommen auf die idee man macht hier was edles was nicht reflektiert da bietet sich gold
49:07there are headphones at every delegate seat these aren't cutting-edge models is this ancient
49:14technology really in use at such a famous institution also das sieht antiquiert aus aber das menschliche
49:21ohr hat seine form in den letzten 10 000 jahren nicht grundlegend verändert all diese ganze technik
49:27dass hier reden simultan gedolmetscht werden in verschiedene sprachen wurde für die uno entwickelt
49:36the un is currently undergoing major renovations although everything is digital today this tried and true
49:43analog technology has survived the interpreters booths are located up above they're sort of the box seats of
49:50the u.n theater the u.n has six official languages english french russian spanish chinese and arabic
49:58jennifer kearns is one of 100 u.n interpreters she pays attention not only to what she hears but also
50:05to what she sees es ist wichtig dass wir den den körper sehen dass wir den körper sehen dass wir den
50:09gsicht sehen vom redner sagen wir so bei litten lesen das tun wir natürlich nicht aber man kriegt unheimlich
50:14viele informationen von gesichtsausdruck von jemand wenn er redet man sieht zum beispiel
50:18die erde sie sich hält ob sie aufgeregt sind ob sie zufrieden mit etwas sind ob sie wütend über
50:25etwas sind in this age of cell phones what role do these old phone booths play in the general assembly
50:34they stand in the side aisles and look like something out of a black and white film
50:39somehow they just don't fit in at a modern global institution like the un
50:44what's more they don't even work anymore
51:06you can't make calls in these old phone booths anymore
51:09but they remain as mementos
51:14we're changing buildings the secretary at tower measures 155 meters several thousand people from
51:21almost every nation work here peacefully across 39 stories it is the un's administrative building
51:27it's also where the secretary general's office is located did you know that he sits at a desk from
51:32austria
51:40secretary general ban ki-moon's office is located all the way at the top of the un tower from here
51:46he doesn't just have a beautiful view he also makes decisions of global significance and right
51:52here at this desk which was made in austria it was specially crafted from elmwood with a stainless steel un
51:58logo value tens of thousands of euros
52:06the heart of the un is located on the seventh floor
52:10what's hiding behind this security gate and why do so few people have access
52:16this is the way to the situation center
52:20it's the office of the un's intelligence service
52:23only a small handful of people have access here
52:27most employees previously worked for other intelligence organizations or the military
52:36but what exactly happens here
52:38we maintain a 24 7 watch around the clock and what we do is we monitor un field presences so we're
52:48simply gathering information from our missions and we summarize it very early in the morning so we can
52:55produce a product that we send to all the seniors by 10 past 8 in the morning here the un employees
53:01gather important information and make decisions that could change the world mystery places
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