Thames Town

Thames Town is the English name for a new town in Songjiang, about 30 km from central Shanghai, China and situated on the Yangtze River. It is named after the River Thames in England, the United Kingdom. The architecture both imitates and is influenced by classic English market town styles. There are cobbled streets, Victorian terraces, corner shops—empty as in an abandoned film set. Some of the architecture has been directly copied from buildings found in England, including the church (copied from one in Clifton, Bristol) and a pub and fish and chip shop (copied from buildings in Lyme Regis, Dorset).

The picturesque church and main square makes an idyllic backdrop for many Chinese Wedding photos, but the town apparently supports no other businesses, nor does anyone live there (as of August 2008). English-style pubs, restaurants and even Costa Coffee shops have moved out some time ago.

The original development was part of a series imitating western-style towns. There are already Italian and German Towns. There is thought to be plans other themed towns.

The town, which is complete, was designed to house approximately 10,000 people and cost 5 billion yuan to construct.

Developers in Charge

*Chief Developer： Shanghai Songjiang New Town Developing and Construction Co. Ltd
*Developer： Shanghai Henghe Real Estate Co. Ltd
*Supervising Architects: Atkins

External links

* [http://www.thamestown.com/english/default.htm Thames Town] (official site)
* " [http://www.guardian.co.uk/china/story/0,,1850877,00.html Pubs, privet and parody as China builds little Britain by the Yangtse ] ", The Guardian, 16 August 2006.
* " [http://www.guardian.co.uk/china/story/0,7369,1229455,00.html Shanghai surprise ... a new town in ye olde English style] ", The Guardian, 2 June 2004.
* " [http://www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/article/0,13673,501050214-1025219,00.html Ye Olde Shanghai] ", Time, 14 February 2005.
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