£530M Thames Town in Shanghai Becomes Ghost Town

Thames Town, a replica of a quaint British village located in the Songjiang district of China, was built in 2006 to attract residents and tourists with its British-style architecture. Despite its initial promise, the £530 million development has largely become a ghost town due to high property prices and lack of community facilities, with many of its shops and restaurants remaining empty. The town features traditional elements like red telephone boxes, Tudor buildings, and a church modeled on an English design, but most structures serve only aesthetic purposes. While it was created to emulate the charm of English villages such as the Cotswolds, it has failed to attract a sustainable population, leading to its current status as a backdrop for wedding photoshoots. Critics describe the town as a parody of British culture, highlighting its bizarre contrast to the reality of urban life in China. Despite its charming facade, visitors often find that the town lacks the vibrant community typically associated with real villages.