{"id":159014,"date":"2013-07-04T11:46:10","date_gmt":"2013-07-04T18:46:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chinadigitaltimes.net\/?p=159014"},"modified":"2013-07-04T15:23:59","modified_gmt":"2013-07-04T22:23:59","slug":"the-rise-of-copycat-architecture-in-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chinadigitaltimes.net\/2013\/07\/the-rise-of-copycat-architecture-in-china\/","title":{"rendered":"The Rise of Copycat Architecture in China"},"content":{"rendered":"
Many have mused on the phenomenon of China’s copycat buildings, as well as entire facsimile towns. There are numerous news reports and accounts from bemused tourists who have stumbled upon a slice of Austria in Guangdong<\/a>, or the new Venice of the east<\/a>, near Tianjin, for example.<\/p>\n Ruth Morris of the BBC travelled to Thames Town, near Shanghai, where she tried to find out why they are so popular among Chinese people, and what is behind the phenomenon<\/a><\/strong>:<\/p>\n \u00a0Zhang says she has come here on her day off because Chinese towns are so crowded and commercial, but here it’s green and pleasant. And as an office administrator, she can’t afford to travel to England.<\/p>\n “Usually if you want to see foreign buildings, you have to go abroad,” says Zhang. “But if we import them to China, people can save money while experiencing foreign-style architecture.” [\u2026] While many Westerners think of knock-off architecture as kitsch and bizarre, many in China find it truly lovely.<\/p>\n [\u2026] The Chinese government often bankrolls major copycat projects. It’s a way of flexing its muscles, says Bosker \n\t\t