China has shifted from copying products to copying entire cities

Thames Town (China) - China, which is often regarded as the center of copied, pirated products from branded bags to cars, has added another item to its list of imitations. The latest imitation is a whole English town that has emerged in the suburbs of Songjiang, about an hour's drive from Shanghai, reports Reuters.
    In Thames Town, you will find a typical English pub, a traditional fish and chips fast food shop, and even a bronze statue of British wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill. In addition, there are certainly Georgian and Victorian cottages that would fit perfectly into the most noble quarters of London.
    "I wanted the realities to look exactly like those in the United Kingdom," explained James Ho, director of the private company Shanghai Henghe Real Estate, one of five project firms in the city. "I think English realities are extraordinary. And when we decide to learn from others, we shouldn't try to improve or make any changes. I have also emphasized this policy to my employees," he added.
    The town, which was built at a cost of 635 million dollars, is expected to become home to 10,000 people. However, although most of the houses have already been sold, it is not particularly lively here yet; residents have not yet moved in, and shops have not opened either.
    Future tenants are, however, enthusiastic about the project. "You won't find such unique buildings in downtown Shanghai," said Emily Ma, who posed for wedding photos with her husband in the town. "I adore Western architecture," she added.
    Others are annoyed by the imitations. Gail Caddy from Lyme Regis in Dorset, southwest England, pointed out that the pub and fish and chips shop in Thames Town are nearly exact replicas of her two establishments, Rock Point Inn and Cob Gate Fish Bar. "I feel cheated that they copied all the experiences from my two local establishments," complains Caddy.
    Paul Rice, deputy director of the British company Atkins Shanghai, which designed the project, denies the deliberate copying of specific objects. "It's probably a bit of a misunderstanding... It was in no way intended as a replica," he claims.
    Most houses in Thames Town were sold for prices starting at 381,000 dollars. Buyers mainly come from Shanghai, which is also familiar with European architecture. Art Nouveau and Neoclassical buildings built during the colonial boom at the turn of the 20th century can still be seen in Shanghai, particularly along the historic Bund waterfront.
    However, it is not only British architecture that inspires planners in China today; Italian and German cities are also in the works. Last year, the British press also published a series of "shocking" articles about how a faithful replica of the town of Dorchester from Dorset, which inspired novelist Thomas Hardy, is being built in Chengdu, central China. And what will it be called? British Town, of course.