Tofu-dreg project
Chinese phrase for a poorly constructed building
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Tofu-dreg project" or "tofu buildings" (Chinese: 豆腐渣工程) is a Chinese phrase used to describe poorly constructed buildings or infrastructure, often due to time constraints or corruption.[1] In the event of a failure or collapse, online discussion and media coverage is frequently censored. [2][3]
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Recent uses of the term include buildings which collapsed after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake,[4][5][6][7][8][9] and the Bangkok Audit Office skyscraper which collapsed initiated by aftershocks from the March 2025 Myanmar earthquake over 1000 km away, which was constructed with poor construction techniques and materials.[2][3] In July and August 2024, over 100 people were killed in collapses of roads and bridges, which has been attributed to tofu-dreg construction of such infrastructure. [10]
Origins and definition
The phrase was coined by Zhu Rongji, the former premier of the People's Republic of China, on a 1998 visit to Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province to describe poorly built levees in the Yangtze River.[11]
In China, the term tofu dregs (the pieces left over after making tofu) is widely used as a metaphor for shoddy work, hence the implication that a "tofu-dreg project" is a poorly executed project.[2][3] Chinese architect Li Hu has suggested that tofu-dreg projects have a reduced lifespan or increased leakages but claimed that the risk of collapse was overblown.[12]
On 15 May 2008, Geoffrey York of The Globe and Mail reported that poorly constructed buildings were called "tofu buildings", and that planners replaced steel rods with thin iron wires for reinforcing concrete, used bad cement, and used a lower amount of bricks than needed.[13]
Examples
2008 Sichuan earthquake
During the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, many schoolhouses collapsed; resulting in the death of students. These buildings have been used to exemplify tofu-dreg projects. The collapses were linked to allegations of corruption in the construction of Chinese schools.
…School construction is the worst. First, there's not enough capital. Schools in poor areas have small budgets and, unlike schools in the cities, they can't collect huge fees, so they're pressed for money. With construction, add in exploitation by government officials, education officials, school managers, etc. and you can imagine what's left over for the actual building of schools. When earthquake prevention standards are raised, government departments, major businesses, etc. will all appraise and reinforce their buildings. But these schools with their 70s-era buildings, no one pays attention to them. Because of this, the older school buildings are suffer[ing] from inadequate protection while the new buildings have been shoddily constructed.
— A construction engineer using the pseudonym "Book Blade" (书剑子)[14]
The state-controlled media has largely ignored the tofu-dregs schoolhouses, under directives from the propaganda bureau's instructions. Parents, volunteers, and journalists who have questioned authorities have been intimidated or arrested.[15][16][17][18] To quash the issue, riot police officers have broken up protests by parents, cordons have been set up around the schools in question, and reportage simply stopped.[19]
Outside of China
Chinese-owned construction companies were involved in the following overseas projects, often as part of the Belt and Road Initiative: