The project will see the vast Longleat House rebuilt in Sichuan Province, China Photo: AP
China’s nouveau riche are spending their fortunes recreating England’s most idyllic and opulent heritage sites.
First there was Thames Town, an ersatz English village in the outskirts of Shanghai complete with pubs and rose garden. Then there was Tower Bridge in Suzhou, a bigger, shinier version of the 150 year old suspension bridge with twice the number of turrets.
The latest project to be announced will see Longleat House, the ancestral home of the Marquess of Bath and one of England’s grandest Elizabethan monuments, rebuilt in Sichuan Province, central China , a centre for coal, iron and steel production.
The stunning 9,000-acre estate caught the interest of a Chinese businessmen delegation during a visit, it was revealed on this week’s episode of BBC documentary, All Change at Longleat.
Ceawlin Thynn, Viscount Weymouth, who took over the management of Longleat from his father in 2010, travelled to Sichuan were plans to build a Longleat replica as a grand hotel for rich Chinese families are afoot.
Ceawlin Thynn in the grounds of Longleat Estate Photo: Andrew Crowley/The Telegraph
Built by Sir John Thynne in 1567, Longleat is regarded as one of the finest examples of period architecture in Britain. The 130-room house is currently occupied by Alexander Thynn, 7th Marquess of Bath.
The Chinese consortium would go into partnership with Viscount Weymouth, who previously developed hotels in Russia. A spokesman for Longleat confirmed that the deal is being pursued, it was reported.
The market for replica English heritage has taken off in China over the last decade fuelled by the country's booming economy. Opened in 2006 and built at a cost of £200 million, Thames Town is a life-size mock market town, complete with a cricketing green and country pub. It even has its own Gothic church modelled on Christ Church, Clifton Down in Bristol, an enormous stage set where newlyweds flock to have their wedding photos taken.
Other ‘fake’ towns include Hallstatt, a version of the Austrian Unesco World Heritage site with an artificial lake, imported doves and Alpine cottages. There’s also Anting German Town, a mock-German town with statues of Goethe and Schiller standing at the centre to the curiosity of local residents.
The love of English quintessence has extended to people's viewing habits. 160 million Chinese viewers watch subtitled episodes of Downton Abbey and China is now the fastest-growing market for the sale of British shows and formats.
First there was Thames Town, an ersatz English village in the outskirts of Shanghai complete with pubs and rose garden. Then there was Tower Bridge in Suzhou, a bigger, shinier version of the 150 year old suspension bridge with twice the number of turrets.
The latest project to be announced will see Longleat House, the ancestral home of the Marquess of Bath and one of England’s grandest Elizabethan monuments, rebuilt in Sichuan Province, central China , a centre for coal, iron and steel production.
The stunning 9,000-acre estate caught the interest of a Chinese businessmen delegation during a visit, it was revealed on this week’s episode of BBC documentary, All Change at Longleat.
Ceawlin Thynn, Viscount Weymouth, who took over the management of Longleat from his father in 2010, travelled to Sichuan were plans to build a Longleat replica as a grand hotel for rich Chinese families are afoot.
Ceawlin Thynn in the grounds of Longleat Estate Photo: Andrew Crowley/The TelegraphBuilt by Sir John Thynne in 1567, Longleat is regarded as one of the finest examples of period architecture in Britain. The 130-room house is currently occupied by Alexander Thynn, 7th Marquess of Bath.
The Chinese consortium would go into partnership with Viscount Weymouth, who previously developed hotels in Russia. A spokesman for Longleat confirmed that the deal is being pursued, it was reported.
The market for replica English heritage has taken off in China over the last decade fuelled by the country's booming economy. Opened in 2006 and built at a cost of £200 million, Thames Town is a life-size mock market town, complete with a cricketing green and country pub. It even has its own Gothic church modelled on Christ Church, Clifton Down in Bristol, an enormous stage set where newlyweds flock to have their wedding photos taken.
Other ‘fake’ towns include Hallstatt, a version of the Austrian Unesco World Heritage site with an artificial lake, imported doves and Alpine cottages. There’s also Anting German Town, a mock-German town with statues of Goethe and Schiller standing at the centre to the curiosity of local residents.
The love of English quintessence has extended to people's viewing habits. 160 million Chinese viewers watch subtitled episodes of Downton Abbey and China is now the fastest-growing market for the sale of British shows and formats.
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