Thames Town
Encyclopedia
Thames Town is the English
name for a new town
in Songjiang Town, 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.
"Thames Toan" is located within the Fangsong subdistrict of Songjiang District
. While Songjiang is an ancient prefecture which far outdates the establishment of Shanghai, Thames Town forms part of the new development in Songjiang as one of nine "new towns" being developed outside of Shanghai as part of the 1 city-9 towns initiative passed by the Shanghai Planning Commission in 2001. All nine new towns are themed: Swedish, English, Italian, Spanish, American, Dutch, German, traditional Chinese, and an ecological town called Lingang.
The town, which is complete, was designed to house approximately 10,000 people and cost 5 billion yuan
to construct.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
name for a new town
New town
A new town is a specific type of a planned community, or planned city, that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are uncommon in new...
in Songjiang Town, about 30 km from central Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and situated on the Yangtze River. It is named after the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. 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
Clifton, Bristol
Clifton is a suburb of the City of Bristol in England, and the name of both one of the city's thirty-five council wards. The Clifton ward also includes the areas of Cliftonwood and Hotwells...
) and a pub and fish and chip shop (copied from buildings in Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis is a coastal town in West Dorset, England, situated 25 miles west of Dorchester and east of Exeter. The town lies in Lyme Bay, on the English Channel coast at the Dorset-Devon border...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
).
The picturesque church and main square makes an idyllic backdrop for many Chinese Wedding photos.
"Thames Toan" is located within the Fangsong subdistrict of Songjiang District
Songjiang District
Songjiang District of Shanghai has a land area of 605.64 km² and a population of 1,582,398 as of 2010. Its main town is Songjiang, connected to Shanghai by Shanghai Metro Line 9.It was Songjiang County until 1998.-Significant Features:...
. While Songjiang is an ancient prefecture which far outdates the establishment of Shanghai, Thames Town forms part of the new development in Songjiang as one of nine "new towns" being developed outside of Shanghai as part of the 1 city-9 towns initiative passed by the Shanghai Planning Commission in 2001. All nine new towns are themed: Swedish, English, Italian, Spanish, American, Dutch, German, traditional Chinese, and an ecological town called Lingang.
Chinese yuan
The yuan is the base unit of a number of modern Chinese currencies. The yuan is the primary unit of account of the Renminbi.A yuán is also known colloquially as a kuài . One yuán is divided into 10 jiǎo or colloquially máo...
to construct.
Developers in Charge
- Chief Developer： Shanghai Songjiang New Town Developing and Construction Co. Ltd
- Developer： Shanghai Henghe Real Estate Co. Ltd
External links
- Thames Town (official site)
- Pubs, privet and parody as China builds little Britain by the Yangtse , The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, 16 August 2006. - Shanghai surprise ... a new town in ye olde English style, The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, 2 June 2004. - Ye Olde Shanghai, TimeTime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, 14 February 2005. - Thames Town Documentary Photography series by Dave Wyatt, July 2008
- DowntownSongjiang Thames Town review Downtown Songjiang review & photos of Thames Town, October 2011