China has begun construction of the Five-Hundred-Meter Aperture Spherical
Radio Telescope (FAST) in
Guizhou province, southern China.
Like the 305m Arecibo telescope, FAST is located in a
karst depression.
Total earthwork is estimated to be one million cubic meters and the scope is expected
to be completed by 2016.
Light reading popular press articles here -
http://www.gizmag.com/five-hundred-m...lescope/18930/
http://www.geekosystem.com/china-radio-telescope/
http://www.popsci.com/technology/art...adio-telescope
Interesting 36 page paper in English by authors from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and JPL
which details the giant telescope project here -
http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1105/1105.3794.pdf