The Chinese government has launched a campaign against imitation buildings from abroad

Beijing - All across China, copies of foreign architecture can be seen, from English towns to alpine villages to the Parisian Eiffel Tower. However, the Chinese government has now decided to put a stop to the construction of such buildings in an effort to promote local architecture. This was reported by the BBC news website.

In a new statement, the government announced that "plagiarized, imitated, and copied" designs will be banned for new public buildings. The statement also mentions that buildings "reveal the culture of the city," and "large, foreign, and strange designs should therefore be limited." The guidelines also state that new skyscrapers, which will not be granted exceptions, may have a maximum height of 500 meters. The announcement from the Chinese government is dated April 27, but media coverage of it has only started this week.

According to The Global Times, "fake, kitschy versions" of foreign buildings can be seen in "many third and fourth tier Chinese cities."

It is unclear whether current imitations will be demolished. However, the Chinese government indicated that they will be subjected to inspections. According to Beijing, eradicating imitations is necessary, especially in the case of stadiums, exhibition centers, museums, theaters, and other public places.

"Urban construction is a combination of the external image of the city and its inner spirit; it reveals the culture of the city," the government stated. The announcement subsequently calls for the start of a "new era" of architecture aimed at "strengthening cultural confidence, showcasing the features of the city, exhibiting its current spirit, and portraying Chinese elements."

Most social media users welcomed the new guidelines. "The ban is great," wrote one contributor on the Weibo platform. "It is much better to protect our historical architecture than to build imitations." Another user noted that they once encountered a replica of the White House in Jiangsu Province. "It burned my eyes," they commented on the experience.

In 2013, the BBC visited a replica of a British town in Songjiang, about an hour's drive from Shanghai. The town, named Thames Town, is a popular spot for wedding photos and features cobbled streets, a copy of a medieval building, and even a statue of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill. "Most of the time you have to go abroad if you want to see foreign buildings," commented one visitor. "But when we import them into China, people can have an experience of foreign architectural style while also saving money," they added.

China is certainly not the only country in the world that has built replicas of foreign buildings. American Las Vegas boasts replicas of the Venetian canals and the Eiffel Tower. Similar copies can also be seen in Thailand, which has built copies of English villages for domestic tourists and attempted to imitate the Italian countryside.