THE SIGN HUNTERS

CHINA: Hangzhou Explorations, 10: Watertown a.k.a. Fake Venice

Written by Laszlo, 16 November 2022

There is a miniature model park near Klagenfurt in Austria called Minimundus, where visitors have been able to enjoy replicas of the world's most famous buildings since its opening in 1958. There are 150 miniature models of architecture from around the world, built at a ratio of 1:25. Among the models, the Great Wall of China can bring a little China-feel to people who would possibly never be able to see the real wonder of the world in real life. In China, people can also find sites that replicate the world's most famous architectural awes, but there are also sites where China has definitely pushed the bar much higher. These are actual fake or replicas of buildings, districts and even whole cities in similar size to the original. In Hangzhou for example there is a fake Champs-Élysées with an Eiffel Tower, and there is also a fake Venice, known also as Venice Watertown (杭州威尼斯水城). The quality of these sites are far from perfect and nobody knows for how long they will be open to public, but these mega-constructions shows well that there is really that money that can be spent on attractions like this.

Because no doubt, Hangzhou Venice Watertown was designed as an attraction that is why it is located in the southern part of Xiaoshan District (萧山区) on the north-eastern shores of the prestigious Xianghu (湘湖). The site was officially opened in 2005 and consists of 42 buildings. It is not only a tourist attraction but also a residential area where currently (as of November 2022) 1 square metres of property costs around 30,000 RMB (over 3,000 GBP).

Fake Venice can be separated into two areas. The "Lower level" is where the canals and water streets are. This is the area which is open to the public during daytime. Originally designed with plenty of shop spaces, which are currently all empty and most definitely have been empty and unused for a long time. On our visit, we counted four shops open out of which one was a small grocery store, and three were photography studios. There is also a health centre here. And this says it all: most people who visit the fake Venice are couples getting married and they have their photo shoots taken and processed here. There is also a posh restaurant the “city” which can be accessed via the Rialto Bridge lookalike ()

The other area is the "Upper level", which is reserved for local residents, so it cannot be accessed by the public. Our drone could, however, fly above the buildings, so we could take some areal shots of the whole Water City.

The main site, which replicates St Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco) with The Campanile (tower), and something that most resembles the Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale, where the health centre is) is the most that makes this place look like the real Venice. The waterways, water streets and the buildings look Mediterranean and Italian, maybe even Venetian, but made to a definite plan and designs other than the real Venice. Being here as a visitor is, however, pleasant as the streets reflect peace and harmony, which also reflect back from the photos shown here below.