Products are copied nowadays more than ever before, and this has spread to the travel sector. Although this time around we stop in Asia, the replicas take us to London, Venice and Paris.
As is to be expected, with this trend, many detractors argue that Chinese architects are not original enough to create their own cities, so they end up copying other iconic monuments, buildings, and even cities. What is clear is that these places have become tourist attractions for the country.
So, today, we bring you a sample of some of the emblematic cities and places that have been re-made in China:
Venice
Suzhou, a major city, is home to the country’s main financial centres, and often dubbed the “Venice of the East”, has recreated the Italian city with gondolas, canals, and waterfronts mimicking the real Venice.
A piece of London and its Tower Bridge
In the same city where they decided to build the “Venice of the East,” there’s a copy of the London Tower Bridge. The bridge that crosses the River Thames is an iconic symbol of London and known worldwide for its characteristic structure with the two towers and bascule bridge that opens to let boats sail up and down the river. It’s also the first bridge boats see upon entering the city. The main difference between the two bridges is that the version in Suzhou doesn’t have a raising mechanism to allow boats to pass underneath. The top floor of the structure has an English style cafe for you sample some British food without leaving China.
Paris and the Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is undoubtedly one of the most touristic places in the world. And as the Chinese couldn’t be outdone by the French, they decided to build a replica of the city and the world-famous tower. Say hello to the Chinese city of Tianducheng. “The City of Paris” was designed to accommodate 10,000 people and is also known for its theme park located nearby. Its main feature the Eiffel Tower, standing at 108m, is much smaller than the original that measures 357.5m in height.
