中國建築的“山寨現象”
Bianca Bosker
在中國東部城市杭州郊區的一個大型住宅項目裏﹐人們幾乎一磚一瓦地複製了巴黎最偉大的建築。這個項目還配有教堂和馬車。
曾
在中國各地遊歷的記者博斯克(Bianca Bosker)說﹐她不止一次聽到這樣的說法﹐理想的生活是吃中國菜﹐開美國車﹐住英國房子。這位《赫芬頓郵報》(Huffington Post)駐紐約的編輯嘗試去驗證其中關於住房的說法﹐發現中國人不僅喜歡英國的房子﹐還有法國的城堡、荷蘭的排屋﹐以及德國的別墅。
University of Hawaii Press
她寫道﹐對中國人來說﹐復製文化有著獨特的價值。
在《原始副本》一書中﹐博斯克對一種經常被當做笑談的做法進行了深入的思考和研究。
這本書中附有大量圖片﹐但是博斯克拒絕對中國廣泛認可的山寨現象做膚淺的解讀。在132頁的文本中﹐“庸俗”這個詞僅出現了三次。
博斯克在接受採訪時說﹐當你瞭解到中國正在建造的建築時﹐你聽到的總是不可思議的、未來主義的、前所未有的現代建築之類的描述。這完全不能反映郊區的情況﹐那裡的建築更加復古。路易十四在凡爾賽的御用建築師的作品就被復製了。
博斯克的許多分析來自西方的建築師和觀察者。但是博斯克沒有對著這些建築指手畫腳或是嘲笑﹐而是敲開門與她所稱的中國的“外國社區”的房屋主人交談。
張曉紅（音）告訴博斯克﹐她在深圳星河丹堤(Galaxy Dante)的住址能夠傳遞這樣的信息：我們是社會上層人士。
博 斯克在想﹐為什麼上海的某幢政府辦公樓會修建成白宮的樣子﹐並且擁有與國會大廈一樣的穹頂﹐於是她得出結論﹐對西方的模仿並不一定是恭維﹐也可能是一種想 要佔上風的嘗試﹐這反映了中國日益增長的信心。儘管她不是唯一一個在建築中看到中國實力的評論者﹐博斯克對中國為何偏愛西式風格的答案簡潔明瞭：因為中國 可以。
博斯克最近接受了“中國實時報”欄目James T. Areddy的電話採訪。以下是經過編輯的採訪實錄。
《華爾街日報》：在書中你提到了中國的“復製文化”﹐你指的是什麼？
博斯克：在西方﹐人們認為復製是禁忌﹐是一件可怕的事﹐是缺乏想象力的標志。
Bianca Bosker
在上海的泰晤士小鎮裏﹐身穿仿英國女王衛隊制服的保安正在巡邏。為暸吸引潛在的購房者﹐房產中介打出了“英倫夢想﹐泰晤士小鎮生活”的廣告語。
這並不是說原創沒有價值﹐而是說你可以復製﹐復製也能夠保留原創的特點和精華﹐雖然在西方我們可能不這樣認為。同樣﹐復製事實上可以顯示出你對某種事情的很在行﹐無論是從字面意義還是比喻意義上講。統治者可能會復製他征服的國家的景色﹐以顯示自己的地位。
《華爾街日報》：一名建築師曾經說過﹐外國設計師不會設計出中國人想要的那種外國建築。中國人想要什麼樣的外國建築？
博斯克：被復製的不光是巴黎本身。而是中國對巴黎的一種特殊的視角。
在 杭州有一個按四分之三比例建造的埃菲爾鐵塔的復製品。有房頂和百葉窗顏色非常深的聯排房屋。但是開發項目中還包含了非巴黎式的地標建築。這裡有巴黎的埃菲 爾鐵塔﹐有位於法國另外一個城市的尼姆競技場﹐有凡爾賽的花壇花園。這不是對法國的忠實復製。這是一種法國最偉大建築的融合﹐讓人聯想起貴族生活方式的建 築的融合。他們沒有復製蓬皮杜藝術中心(Pompidou)﹐和其他任何現代建築﹐因為那不符合法國建築的傳統理念。
它不像是拉斯維加斯。這些復製品不是主題公園。這些是住宅﹐是社區。它們不是旅遊景點﹐雖然它們也有可能成為旅遊景點。
……
許多這類社區非常嚴格遵循西方的建築規則﹐禁止任何破壞建築西式風格的改動。只有一種情況能讓他們放寬標準……那就是改善風水的需要。中國人理想的生活可能是住在一棟英國別墅里﹐但是這棟英國別墅風水一定要好。
《華爾街日報》：你見到過哪些與眾不同的復製品？
博斯克：我去過深圳的一戶人家﹐看到了他們仿照白宮建造的住宅。該住宅的名字也叫白宮。主人是一個白手起家的商人﹐他的家人在文革中受了不少苦。我和他一起參觀了他的房子﹐我記得他在走出房子時轉過身說﹐太美了﹐簡直太美了。他一直都有一種自豪感。如果可能﹐他會為這棟房子寫詩。
在杭州﹐我看到一對夫婦在這個法國教堂的樓上舉行婚禮。主持婚禮的男子打扮成牧師的樣子。他們有一個假的聖壇﹐上面有一個十字架﹐十字架上包著紅色的中國旗。婚禮現場一直都有泡泡的效果。
我曾在不同時間回到過這些地方。有些仍然是無人居住的鬼城。
《華爾街日報》：你在這種表面的瘋狂背後發現了一種營銷策略。最近的一篇文章顯示﹐一個仿製的埃菲爾鐵塔和廣告宣傳“世界上最大的多納圈”的美國城鎮沒什麼區別。你覺得呢？
博斯克：西式風格是為了打造品牌﹐這絕對沒錯。其營銷材料上也會突出這一點。他們在小冊子上宣傳了每一個可能與西方產生關係的地方：在這個英國小鎮﹐你的鄰居可能是一位金發女郎﹐另一個鄰居則可能是研究莎士比亞的專家。
《華爾街日報》：這些居民的生活方式也很西化嗎？
博斯克：他們的生活方式是混合的。他們的住宅裝飾風格主要是西式的。安妮女王(Queen Anne)風格的沙發、大的錦緞絲綢窗帘﹐以及西式的結婚照。
我在北京的維也納花園(Vienna Gardens)見到了一名男子。他的住宅外有幾尊希臘雕像。他驕傲地介紹著家中一切西方或是進口的東西。他的台燈是希臘的﹐ 上的繪畫是西班牙的。但是他的住宅中有一個房間被設計成傳統的中國茶室的樣子。
《華爾街日報》：一些開發項目是政府官員的決定﹐包括已經下台的上海市委書記陳良宇提出的“一城九鎮”項目中的泰晤士小鎮(Thames Town)。你知道他為什麼要實施這個項目嗎？
博斯克：有人認為這是一個自上而下的活動。沒有協商。顧問們被召集起來完成這個項目。這是他憑個人喜好發起的一個項目。
上海以及其他地方的類似項目還能夠成為官員任期內的政績。我認為曾有中國官員計劃在郊區興建更多工程。
Bianca Bosker
在上海泰晤士小鎮的一個模仿英國布里斯托爾大教堂的複製品前﹐一對中國夫婦正在拍攝婚紗照。許多新婚夫婦都在這個教堂前拍攝婚紗照。教堂前的一個道具台上一直擺放著假的婚禮蛋糕、香檳以及一籃法棍面包。
《華爾街日報》：復製到底代表著中國的實力還是缺陷﹐你有這方面的結論嗎？
博斯克：無論你覺得這些項目是矯揉造作、惡俗、美麗還是神奇﹐你都不得不驚嘆中國的復製能力。扎哈•哈迪德(Zaha Hadid)在北京設計的一座Soho大樓被重慶復製一事曾引發爭議。令人不可思議的是﹐這件復製品將比原創更早完工。我們談的不是錢包或鞋子﹐或是需要幾行代碼的網站。我們說的是兩棟大樓。
如果我們看到中國復製的東西就想當然地認為中國會永遠復製別人的東西就錯了。另一方面﹐中國也在著力推進發明和創新。
《華爾街日報》：一些復製類的開發項目的用途已經變了﹐比如上海的英式“泰晤士小鎮”和瀋陽的“新阿姆斯特丹”(New Amsterdam)。這種趨勢是否正在消失？
博斯克：西方主題的開發項目週圍正在出現其他風格的建築﹐尤其是傳統的中國風社區。越來越多的傳統的法式巨無霸豪宅旁邊建起了中式的巨無霸豪宅。
James T. Areddy
Eight Questions: Bianca Bosker on China's 'Original Copies' in ArchitectureTouring around China, journalist Bianca Bosker says she heard more than once that the ideal life is, 'to eat Chinese food, drive an American car and live in a British house.'
She tested the residential principle, finding not only English estates but French chateaus, Dutch townhouses and German villas too.
In her new book, 'Original Copies: Architectural Mimicry in Contemporary China' (University of Hawai'i Press, 2013), Ms. Bosker examines the country's copycat construction of Eiffel Towers, Venetian canals, Gothic cathedrals and statues of people like Winston Churchill.
'For the Chinese, the culture of the copy has a distinct value,' she writes.
In 'Original Copies,' Ms. Bosker, an editor for the Huffington Post in New York, has written a considered study of a trend more often dismissed in jest.
The book has plenty of photos. But Ms. Bosker resisted the coffee-table photo essay approach to China's widely recognized fakes phenomenon; she uses the word 'kitsch' only three times in the 132-page text.
'When you hear about the architecture being built in China, you constantly hear about incredible, futuristic, record-breaking modern architecture,' Ms. Bosker said in an interview. 'That completely ignores what is going on in the suburbs, which is much more retro. It's Louis XIV's private architect from Versailles who is seeing his work knocked off.'
Much of Ms. Bosker's analysis comes from western architects and observers. But instead of standing out in front of these places and snickering, Ms. Bosker knocked on doors to meet homeowners in China's 'alien residential' communities, as she calls them.
Zhang Xiaohong tells Ms. Bosker her Shenzhen address in Galaxy Dante broadcasts that 'we have a social identity at the upper level.'
Pondering why Shanghai might model a government office as the White House topped with the Capitol's dome, Ms. Bosker determines that fakery of the West isn't necessarily flattery ─ it can also be one-upmanship that reflects growing Chinese confidence. While she isn't the only critic to see evidence of Chinese mastery, and even put-downs, in the architecture, Ms. Bosker is succinct about why China has gone western: 'Because it can.'
The author recently spoke by telephone with China Real Time's James T. Areddy. Here is an edited transcript.
In the book you describe 'the culture of the copy' in China. What do you mean?
In the West there is a sense that copy is very taboo. It's a terrible thing. It's a sign of a lack of imagination.
In China, copy doesn't have the same stigma. You can have a copy and it can be a sign of technological achievement and cultural achievement and it's not inferior.
It's not to say that originality is not prized; it's to say you can copy something and that it can retain more so than we think in the West character and essence of the original. Likewise, to copy something can actually be to show mastery of something, both figuratively and literally. I talk about the imperial landscape where rulers would replicate the kingdoms of conquered people within their own domain to show their superiority.
An architect is quoted saying 'foreign designers won't design the type of foreign architecture the Chinese want.' What kind of 'foreign architecture' do Chinese want?
It's not just Paris that is being copied. It's a particular vision that the Chinese hold of Paris.
In Hangzhou, they have a 3/4 replica of the Eiffel Tower. There are town houses that have very dark roofs and shutters. But they've tiled all these non-Parisian landmarks into the development. You've got the Eiffel Tower in Champs Elysées Square. You've got the amphitheatre of Nîmes from a totally different part of France. You've got the parterre garden of Versailles. This is not an honest true replica of France. This is kind of an amalgamation of the greatest hits of French architecture and those that are evocative of an aristocratic lifestyle. You look at what they've left out: the Pompidou, any sort of modern architecture because that is not fitting into the concept of French architecture.
It's not like Las Vegas. These are not theme parks. These are homes. These are communities. These aren't just tourist attractions though they can be that too.
….
Many of these communities have very strong architectural covenants that prohibit changes that would undermine the Western nature of the development. In (one) case, they relaxed the regulations…..so they could improve the feng shui. The ideal life might be living in a British villa but it better be a British villa with great feng shui.
What are some of the remarkable replicas you saw?
I went to one home in Shenzhen to see a home modeled after the White House. It was called the White House, bai gong. (The owner) was a self-made man; his family had suffered during the Cultural Revolution. Touring it with him, I remember stepping out of the house. He turned around and said, 'it's so beautiful. It's just so beautiful.' There was this constant sense of pride in it. He'd written poems about the house.
In Hangzhou, I watched a couple have a wedding in the upstairs of this French chapel. The guy officiating was dressed up as a pastor. They had a makeshift altar with a cross on it a cross covered with red Chinese flags. All through the ceremony there were bubbles.
I returned to these different places at different points. Some of them have remained ghost towns.
You find there's a marketing method in the seeming madness. One recent article suggests a fake Eiffel Tower is no different than a U.S. town advertising the 'World's Biggest Donut.' How do you see it?
It's absolutely true that the Western brand functions as a brand. It features very prominently in the marketing materials. The brochures trumpet every possible association with the West: Here in this British town, your neighbor might be a blonde and the other person next to you might be an expert in Shakespeare.
And the residents - do they live 'Western lifestyles?'
It's a hybrid. The Western style can permeate the decorations of the homes: Queen Anne sofas, big brocaded silk curtains, Western style wedding portraits.
I met a man at Vienna Gardens in Beijing. He has Greek statues outside his home. He was proud to point out everything in his home that was Western or imported. He had lamps that were Greek and paintings that were Spanish. But one room in his house had been to a 'T' designed as a very traditional Chinese tea room.
Some of these projects were the brainchild of political leaders, including Thames Town in the 'one city, nine towns' scheme of since-outsted Shanghai Communist Party secretary Chen Liangyu. Did you learn much about why he pushed that?
There was a sense this was a very top-down endeavor. There was no consultation. The advisers were called in to make this work. This was a pet project that was initiated by him.
Something that holds true in the Shanghai case and some of the other officially spearheaded projects was officials being able to point to an accomplishment under their tenure. I think there was an effort to bring more development to the suburbs.
These are status symbols on an individual level but also monuments of China's achievement on a state level….by being able to recreate the best architecture, most iconic architecture of the west.
Have you developed any theories about copying as a sign of strength or weakness for China?
Whether you think these developments are kitschy, tacky, beautiful, wonderful, we should come away in awe of China's ability to copy at all levels. There's this controversy over the Soho development in Beijing that Zaha Hadid designed that is (apparently) being copied in Chongqing. It's incredible because the copy is set to be finished before the original. We're not talking about pursues or shoes, or a website that takes a couple lines of code. We're talking about two enormous buildings.
It's wrong to look at China's copying and assume that China is going to go on copying forever. It's giving force to ingenuity and innovation on the other.
Some of these projects have been repurposed, including the British 'Thames Town' in Shanghai and Shenyang's 'New Amsterdam.' Has the trend gone away?
We're seeing already that these Western themed developments are being supplemented by other theme styles. One in particular is the arrival of traditional Chinese themed communities. There's increasingly a Chinese McMansion that is going up next to the traditional French McMansion.
James T. Areddy
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