It's common knowledge that China has "at least 10 White Houses, four Arcs de Triomphe, a couple of Great Sphinxes and at least one Eiffel Tower," report the New York Times. But now photographs of a copy of London’s famous Tower Bridge (a Victorian riparian gateway to the city) in the Chinese city of Suzhou have emerged – and it's been adapted to suit a five-lane highway. Almost identical—from a distance, at least—to its British counterpart the new structure, which was completed in 2012, has been doubled – a feat which has also required some spectacular architectural additions.
Speaking to the Times, Cheng Taining of the Chinese Academy of Engineering suggested that "many [Chinese] officials see foreign designs as shortcuts to achieving a look of modernity and worldliness." In 2014, Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly called for an end to the "weird buildings" being built in China, and particularly in the nation's capital, Beijing.
News via New York Times
