We all know that the Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to the USA during the American revolution, but did you know there is also one in Tokyo? What’s the world coming to when the most amazing destinations start stealing one another’s landmarks?!
Statue of Liberty in Tokyo
There seem to be a flux of Statue of Liberty replicas around the world, and Tokyo is just one city amongst many where you can catch this Roman goddess. Just head to Odaiba Island and you’ll see her standing next to the Rainbow Bridge. Strangely enough, did you know there are also fake Statues of Liberty in Germany, Norway, Spain, Ireland and Kosovo?
Harbour Bridge in Sydney
Along with the Opera House, it’s probably one of the most well known landmarks around the world – but the Sydney Harbour Bridge wasn’t born from nothing! If you look closely enough, it seems to be a strangely close replica of the Hell Gate Bridge in New York City. We wouldn’t say we ‘stole’ it exactly, but the design for the Harbour Bridge was directly influenced by this lovely New Yorker.
London Bridge in Suzhou
What happens when you clash British history with Chinese culture? Replica! This amazing duplication of London’s celebrated bridge sits in Suzhou in the Jiangsu province in China. They’ve improved it a little however, adding two more towers and installing a coffee shop at the top that serves ‘English style coffee!’
Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas
Vegas is known for its crazy copy-cat tendencies and the Paris Las Vegas stands out for its cool miniature replica of the Eiffel Tower. As if that’s not enough, you’ll also find replicas of the Arc de Triomphe, a Montgolfier balloon and the Place de la Concorde. If you can’t be bothered with Vegas, there’s also another Eiffel Tower in Durango, Mexico.
Canals of Venice in Las Vegas
If Paris is just not doing it for you in terms of stolen landmarks, the Venetian will be your next best bet. The famous canals of Venice feature prominently here, as does St. Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge. And yes, before you ask, you can go on a gondola ride here! Though it’s not quite as thrilling as the real thing…
Stonehenge in Natural Bridge
If you never make it to those mystical ancient stones in the UK, don’t sweat it. Natural Bridge in Virginia, USA, is home to Foamhenge, a life-size imitation of the real thing. And yes, it’s made entirely of foam.
Christ the Redeemer in Lisbon
This inspired copy of the famed Christ the Redeemer statue began construction in Lisbon in 1959 as a ‘thank you’ to God for sparing the Portuguese from World War II. Unfortunately, there’s no towering mountain here like there is in Rio, but the statue does sit atop a huge monument, on a cliff top near the Tagus River.
Parthenon in Nashville
Contrary to popular belief, it’s not all about country music in Nashville! Unlike many other replicas, this Parthenon model in the Centennial Park is full-scale, bringing the full effect of the real Athenian Parthenon to life. Why’s it here? It was built in 1897 as part of the state’s Centennial Exposition. If you head inside, you’ll also find a gold leaf redo of the Athena Parthenos statue.
The Taj Mahal in Bangladesh
Poverty is a real world problem in Bangladesh and unfortunately it means many of its inhabitants can’t afford to travel. So, in 2008, wealthy filmmaker Ahsanullah Moni decided to recreate the real landmark so that citizens would be able to see and experience it. Apparently it was such a great copy that the Indian High Commission threatened to sue for copyright infringement!
Every Landmark in Beijing
The Chinese love to recreate things from around the world and at the Beijing World Park, you can find stolen landmarks from everywhere! There’s the Great Sphinx and the Pyramids, the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Empire State Building, just to mention a few. A great novelty day trip if you’re in Beijing!