An extraordinary British-style town, constructed at a cost of £530 million and located over 5,000 miles from the UK, offers a surreal slice of England in the suburbs of Shanghai. Known as Thames Town, this development was created as part of a unique urban plan to tackle overcrowding in the Chinese megacity.
From Blueprint to 'Ghost Town'
Thames Town was conceived as a key component of the 'One City, Nine Towns' initiative announced by Shanghai authorities in 2001. The ambitious project aimed to decentralise the city's population by creating satellite towns, each inspired by international architectural styles including German, Dutch, Canadian, and Spanish designs. The British-inspired enclave, named after London's River Thames, was modelled on a classic English market town.
The town's design leaves little to the imagination, featuring cobbled streets, iconic red telephone boxes, Victorian and Georgian terraced houses, and traditional corner shops. It even boasts a church modelled on Christ Church in Clifton, Bristol, alongside familiar high-street names like a fish and chip shop, KFC, and a replica Costa Coffee. Despite its picturesque build, the town initially struggled. With property prices starting around £400,000 and many units bought purely as investments, the area gained a reputation as a 'ghost town', with shuttered shops and few permanent residents.
A New Lease of Life for a British Facsimile
In recent years, Thames Town has found an unexpected and vibrant purpose. It has become a highly sought-after location for Chinese couples wanting a quintessentially British backdrop for their wedding photographs. This has injected new life into its pedestrianised streets and Tudor-inspired buildings.
British visitors have expressed astonishment at the accuracy of the replica. YouTuber Ben Morris, who visited the town, remarked that he immediately felt he 'could be in Milton Keynes'. He noted in his video, 'I am from the UK... and I feel as though I could be in the UK right now, except for the Chinese number plates and the lack of crime.' He even found the experience enhanced by typically British weather during his visit, stating, 'the weather is stinking, it couldn't be gloomier and it's cold.'
Surreal Familiarity and Future Prospects
Other observers have reported a mixed atmosphere. Fellow content creator Harvey in China described the town as looking 'eerily close' to Britain but found it 'very, very empty' on a weekend visit, noting that most people there were vloggers, photographers, or tourists. However, Ben Morris contested the 'ghost town' label, concluding, 'Honestly, this town is a lot nicer than many towns I've been to in the UK... it is full of activity.'
The town continues to draw curious visitors from Shanghai and beyond. Reviewers on platforms like Tripadvisor suggest it's a 'worthwhile visit' for those with extra time in Shanghai, despite the 90-minute travel time from the city centre. For locals, it provides a curious escape or a 'taste of England', while for the outside observer, it stands as a fascinating monument to global cultural exchange and ambitious urban planning, where the familiar is rendered beautifully strange.
