Replica of Tower Bridge in China undergoes £1.5m refit to make it look 'more Chinese'

But the bridge was commissioned in 2008 but finished just as president Xi Jinping called for a return to traditional Chinese features and culture
But the bridge was commissioned in 2008 but finished just as president Xi Jinping called for a return to traditional Chinese features and culture

A replica of London’s iconic Tower Bridge in China has provoked scorn after local authorities splashed £1.5 million in renovations to make it “more coherent” with its Chinese surroundings.

The bridge – twice the size of the original with four turrets, spiraling 40 metres upward – was first completed in Suzhou, a city in eastern China, in 2012.

Tourists flocked to the picturesque city, dubbed “Venice of the East,” to walk along its canals and marvel at its 56 replica bridges.

Aside from the Thames bridge imitation, the city is also home to copies of other famous overpasses, such as Sydney’s Harbour Bridge and the Ponte Sant’Angelo in Italy.

<span>An aerial view of the replica shows where the distinctive, decorative elements of the original Tower Bridge have been removed by Chinese authorities</span>
An aerial view of the replica shows where the distinctive, decorative elements of the original Tower Bridge have been removed by Chinese authorities

Couples gathered to snap wedding portraits in the area, posing in elaborate gowns and tuxedos in front of the imitation Tower Bridge with its copycat ornate mullions.

But the bridge – commissioned in 2008 at a time when it was still in vogue for cities across China to imitate Western architecture, erecting copies of everything from the Eiffel Tower to the White House – was finished just as president Xi Jinping called for a return to traditional Chinese features and culture.

“History and culture are the soul of a city, and people should cherish the city’s historical cultural heritage as their own lives,” Mr Xi said. He even demanded specifically for an end to copycat architecture: “Don’t build such strange buildings.”

Local authorities in Suzhou then scrambled to salvage what they could, finishing renovations last year by flattening the bridge’s distinctive turrets, removing decorative elements from the windows, and painting the whole structure gray, much to the chagrin of locals. The bridge now bears no resemblance to its original inspiration after the expensive makeover.

“Before it was changed, the bridge looked nice. Now it’s gray, and looks lifeless – we don’t go taking photos there now,” said Liu Min, 22, who works in a photography studio that takes wedding photos.

<span>Another view of the Tower Bridge replica, which shows where the blue supporting arches of the original have been modified</span>
Another view of the Tower Bridge replica, which shows where the blue supporting arches of the original have been modified

“It’s an overcorrection,” said Yan Jieming, 30, an architecture expert at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

“It is totally unnecessary to spend millions on it – if you didn’t do it right from the beginning, there’s no point to spend more money and energy on it, resources which could be used for meaningful construction in other parts of the city,” he said.

Users online have likened the refurbished version to military pillboxes – drab concrete guard posts used in wartime – even joking that the renovation was simply a way to help create more jobs and boost the local economy. The bridge, which stretches across the Yuanhetang river, is about 45 metres wide and includes vehicle and pedestrian lanes. Tourists can ride elevators to the top of the turrets for a view of the city.

But even after splashing money on the fix, the Chinese version still doesn’t function like the London original – the bridge isn’t cantilevered, lacking mechanisms to open up to allow tall boats through.

“The more changes made, the uglier it is,” complained one person online.

source: yahoo.com