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Chinese theme park’s ‘one of a kind’ attraction inspired by half of US Capitol building

Circular three-storey building at Hubei province park built so that half of it copies iconic Washington landmark and the other part Beijing’s Hall of Prayer

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A woman takes pictures with her mobile phone of a building, half of which is a replica of the US capitol building and the other half Beijing’s Temple of Heaven at a theme park in Hebei province. Photo: Reuters
Andrea Chen

China’s reputation for copying things seems to know no bounds after one of the most iconic landmarks in America - the United States Capitol Building - appeared in a mainland theme park. Well, at least half of it.

Read more: Venice of the East? Replica of canal city latest architectural fake to be built in China

A number of Chinese theme parks have built large replicas of iconic buildings from around the world, but this one - described as “one of a kind” - may well be one of the most bizarre.

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The half-and-half building is described by the Hebei provincial government as ‘one of a kind’. Photo: Reuters
The half-and-half building is described by the Hebei provincial government as ‘one of a kind’. Photo: Reuters
The conically roofed three-storey circular building at film and television show theme park in suburban Shijiazhuang, in Hebei province is described as a seamless “fusion” of the Washington’s Capitol - the US legislature, and Beijing’s Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests at the Temple of Heaven world heritage site.
The interior of the theme-park replica building in China’s Hubei province. Photo: Reuters
The interior of the theme-park replica building in China’s Hubei province. Photo: Reuters
The top of the attraction in China’s Hubei province, which appears to have been built by sticking two halves of different buildings together. Photo: Reuters
The top of the attraction in China’s Hubei province, which appears to have been built by sticking two halves of different buildings together. Photo: Reuters
Half of the building is the Capitol and the other half the Hall of Prayer.
A replica of the Sphinx is seen through a door of the newly constructed attraction at the Shijiazhuang theme park in Hebei province. Photo: Reuters
A replica of the Sphinx is seen through a door of the newly constructed attraction at the Shijiazhuang theme park in Hebei province. Photo: Reuters
It has joined the Louvre Pyramid replica and the fake Sphinx as a “new highlight” at the park, the provincial capital’s official weibo reported on Tuesday.

Read more: The power of Louvre: replica Paris pyramid joins fake Sphinx in Chinese theme park

One side of the building looks like the US Capitol building ... Photo: Reuters
One side of the building looks like the US Capitol building ... Photo: Reuters
... and the other half Beijing’s Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests at the Temple of Heaven. Photo: Reuters
... and the other half Beijing’s Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests at the Temple of Heaven. Photo: Reuters
The local government described the building as “one of a kind” because it features both “Western and Chinese architectural elements”, but fell short of naming the Western landmark that the mainland architect chose to copy.
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