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a bridge too far?

China builds bizarre replica of Tower Bridge and gloats about their version being twice the size of London’s

Asian country famed for ripping off designs builds knock off historical landmark at cost of £9.4million

Seeing double ...the rip-off Tower Bridge is double the size

A REPLICA of London’s Tower Bridge in a Chinese city is being hailed as better than the original.

The mock-up landmark, built across a river in the city Suzhou stands 131 feet tall and is the spitting image of the famous bridge in the capital of the United Kingdom.

Seeing double ...the rip-off Tower Bridge is twice the size
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Seeing double ...the rip-off Tower Bridge is twice the sizeCredit: Getty Images

For years China has cashed in ripping off ideas - ignoring copyright laws - or making foreign products in factories where workers are poorly paid.

But now the nation of 1.3bn is copying whole buildings and landmarks from European cities lock, stock and barrel.

Unlike the original Tower Bridge, the copied one has four turrets rather than two.

This allows a dual carriageway to pass beneath.

Claims of the copied Tower Bridge's superiority was made in an article published today on .

The website, which is linked to the ruling Communist Party’s mouthpiece, , claimed that “the bridge is very similar to the Tower Bridge in appearance, however it is more magnificent”.

An article appearing on the site reads: “Designers meticulously changed the original structure and turned the two turrets into four.”

Unlike the historic original which spans the River Thames, this version caters for a modern dual carriageway
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Unlike the historic original which spans the River Thames, this version caters for a modern dual carriagewayCredit: Getty Images
The Chinese Tower Bridge is set in an area of mostly concrete tower blocks
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The Chinese Tower Bridge is set in an area of mostly concrete tower blocksCredit: Getty Images
The real Tower Bridge in London is part of the historic fabric of an ancient city
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The real Tower Bridge in London is part of the historic fabric of an ancient cityCredit: Getty Images
The Chinese version of Tower Bridge does not have a raising bridge like its famous inspiration in London
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The Chinese version of Tower Bridge does not have a raising bridge like its famous inspiration in LondonCredit: Getty Images

 

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Copyright infringement aside, the attention to detail of the copy has to be recognised
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Copyright infringement aside, the attention to detail of the copy has to be recognisedCredit: Getty Images

But this is not the only example of British architecture being replicated in China.

Thames Town, in the Songjiang District near Shanghai, is complete with cobbled streets, Victorian homes and corner pubs.

The Tianducheng development in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, even boasts its own Eiffel Tower.

Thames Town, in the Songjiang, looks like an English market town
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Thames Town, in the Songjiang, looks like an English market townCredit: Wikipedia
A farmer tills the field near the replica of the Eiffel Tower at the Tianducheng development in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province
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A farmer tills the field near the replica of the Eiffel Tower at the Tianducheng development in Hangzhou, Zhejiang ProvinceCredit: Reuters
Although designed to accommodate at least ten thousand people, Tianducheng remains sparsely populated and is now considered as a "ghost town"
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Although designed to accommodate at least ten thousand people, Tianducheng remains sparsely populated and is now considered as a "ghost town"Credit: Reuters
An aerial view of the Titanic replica currently being made
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An aerial view of the Titanic replica currently being madeCredit: Getty Images

A replica of the Belfast built Titanic is also been constructed in the Sichuan province.

The extraordinary reproduction will form part of a new tourist attraction.

Seven Star Energy Investment Group are behind the project, which will be permanently moored in a reservoir.


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