Driving School Operating on the Roof of an Unfinished Factory

A driving school in China was shut down after photos of student drivers cruising around its location (a factory roof) raised concerns online.

1 minute read

May 10, 2017, 6:00 AM PDT

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


Driving School

vincent noel / Shutterstock

High hopes went unrealized for a driving school located on the roof of an unfinished polyester factory in Tayun, capital of China's Shanxi Province. "The large rooftop offers beginning drivers several hundred square meters of open space to swerve around in, as well as a more than 20-meter drop if they happen to screw up," Alix Linder reports in Shanghaiist. Pictures of the school caused concern when they surfaced on social media.

News website, NetEase, says the school has been closed by local authorities, and other business plans will be grounded until the polyester factory can be completed.

Monday, May 8, 2017 in Shanghaiist

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

: Construction of massive Samsung semiconductor fabrication plant

In Texas, data centers are swallowing promised parkland

Residents who moved to Taylor, Texas for a rural community now have to contend with three data centers in their backyard.

1 hour ago - Inside Climate News

A construction crew working on SunZia.

How a Chicago-sized wind farm beat the odds and powered on

The project spanned five presidential administrations and a standoff with a U.S. military base.

2 hours ago - Grist

A rendering of the basketball court, a green court under a blue sky.

MTA gives itself 30 days to transform pit into basketball court

The site has been under construction since 2022; the city originally estimated it would finish the court in 2024.

3 hours ago - Gothamist