Living in the UK, we often forget how rich the country is in history. But the stunning sites consistently amaze the millions of tourists that visit each year.
Stratford-Upon-Avon is one of these awe-inspiring places, famous for being Shakespeare’s birthplace. Take a two-hour trip outside London and you’ll see tourists there, no matter the weather or season.
What you might not know is that the town is so loved by Chinese tourists that they’ve decided to make visiting easier – by building their own version.
There are plans to build a replica of Stratford in the city of Fuzhou, complete with Shakespeare’s birthplace, several streets and the River Avon.
This will be part of what will be called Sanweng, which means ‘Three Masters’. The idea is that Sanweng will pay tribute to three great writers – one being Shakespeare, the other being Cervantes, who will be honoured with a ‘Little Alcala’, and Tang Xianzu, a Chinese writer from the region. All three passed away in 1616.
“There is an enormous interest for Shakespeare in China,” said Phillipa Rawlinson from the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust during a 2016 visit.
“The trust has had a long working relationship with cultural organisations to promote Shakespeare’s works life and times to Chinese audiences.”
