London Tower Bridge Replica

nicholasabateman (Atlas Obscura User)

Just outside Suzhou’s modern SIP district is perhaps the city’s most peculiar replica of a famous Western landmark: a remarkably accurate copy of London’s Tower Bridge.

The bridge joins a collection of London-themed temporary structures, used mainly as backdrops for wedding photography shoots. They include a red double-decker bus and a half-hearted attempt to mirror London’s South Bank.

The Tower Bridge appears to be an exact copy on first inspection, but looking closer reveals it to be a doubling up of the architecturally unique towers. Closer inspection still will reveal it to be built on the cheap, with some shoddy looking tower interiors. Keep an eye out for the cross-eyed lion statues, as well!

While in the area, you may also want to check out the replica Dutch town situated on an island just southwest of the bridge, or enjoy the small-scale copies of the Pont Alexandre III and Sydney Harbour Bridge that sit just north of “Little London.”

Update June 2019: This is currently abandoned and all facades from the bridge have been stripped.

Know Before You Go

To get there from SIP take Metro line 2 to Xutu Gang; you'll see the bridge from the train on the lefthand side. Leave the station and double back until you reach the river, then follow the river west.