One complete, one unfinished
China is getting more influence worldwide, but its still no match for the United States. Perhaps China is hoping to be able to exert symbolic control over US politics by not just having one copy of the US Capitol Building, but two — both in the same city.
Recent Chinese media reports show that one of the fake US Capitol Buildings in Wuhan, Hubei has fallen into disrepair after being abandoned when funds ran out before it could be completed (seen above in the gallery). While its similarity to the Wasington institution may be a coincidence, Chinese media have drawn a direct comparison by calling the Wuhan US Capitol Building a shanzhai (山寨) version, meaning “fake” or “counterfeit”.
With its interior still left to be finished, the fake five-story US Capitol Building was designed to be a hotel, and is shaped like a giant “U”. As with the authentic Capitol Building in Washington, this building sports a large, open round space topped by a dome.
Despite the tragedy of a dream left unfulfilled, Chinese enthusiasts of US political architecture need not be too upset as they are swimming in a rich pool of fake international landmarks. In fact, there is already a fake US Capitol Building that is completed and fully-functional in the same city (see in the gallery below).
The Wuhan Trade and Commerce Vocational School has as a faculty building that looks very similar to the US Capitol Building, but it;s not the only such imitation on campus grounds. Also seen at the school are a library in the shape of a pyramid as well as an accompanying sphinx, an Arc de Triomphe, as well as several Greek statues surrounding a water pool.
Can’t keep track of all these white buildings with pillars? Here’s a photograph of the real US Capitol Building for reference:
If it appears that China’s economy is not robust enough to support the building of two counterfeit US Capitol Buildings, but it is vibrant enough to build two fake Sphinx, a fake Louvre pyramid as well as localized fake versions of Tianan’men Square and the Great Wall of China.
Whether they be raw knock-offs or venerable homages to their original inspirations, the Chinese trend of copying things does not appear to be ending soon.
Source: People's Daily, China, China,163 News, SCOL, Fang, China News, 10 Yan, STNN, Tuniu
Photos: People's Daily, China, China,163 News, SCOL, Fang, China News, 10 Yan, STNN, Tuniu
Tags: Capitol Building, Capitol Hill,Counterfeit, Fake, fake landmarks,Shanzhai
Charles Liu
The Nanfang's Senior Editor
https://thenanfang.com/china-fake-us-capitol-building-wuhan-hubei/
