The quaint English market community that's 5,700 miles out of place: Thames Town in China is the ultimate cultural knock-off China is notorious for making knock-off designer clothes and high-end electronics. But this time the country has excelled itself. With its mock Tudor buildings, cobbled streets, red telephone boxes and a Gothic church, this could be a quaint English market town, but bizarre settlement is actually in the People's Republic. And unlike most places in the UK, its population is shrinking. 'Thames Town', about 19 miles from central Shanghai, is virtually a ghost town. Quaint: Newly-wed Chinese couples pose in the streets of Thames town, a British themed town near Shanghai Chinese knock off: Thames Town is in Songjiang District, about 19 miles from central Shanghai Spot the difference: With its mock Tudor buildings, cobbled streets, red telephone boxes and a Gothic church, it is an almost perfect replica of a quaint English town Bizarre: Contrary to appearances, Thames Town is not a resort or a theme park but is actually a new town modelled on the 'British way of life' But not very popular: Unlike most places in the UK, Thames Town's population is shrinking Ghost town: The town, completed in 2006, was supposed to house 10,000 inhabitants Empty streets: Reports claim only a 'handful' of people live there, but the place does attract tourists looking for quirky photo opportunities The extraordinary settlement, just one of a range of Chinese imitations of Western cityscapes, opened in 2006 as a replica of a small town in the UK. Out of the flat, soggy farmlands of Songjiang, local property developers recreated a town that in one great architectural sweep took in grand Victorian, Georgian and Tudor style buildings. Traditional buildings were copied and pubs and shops were imitated in an attempt to recreate the British way of life, and developers fashioned an artificial river to replicate the Thames. It even boasts replica members of the Queen's guard on patrol and statues of Winston Churchill and Harry Potter. At the time Thames Town was built James Ho, the head of one of the companies behind the development, Shanghai Hengde Real Estate, said: 'I wanted the properties to look exactly the same as those in the United Kingdom. I think English properties are very special. When we decide to learn from others, we should not make any improvements or changes. Just like suburban Britain: Thames Town consists mainly of low-density, single-family housing, with few commercial premises or community facilities English-style prices: Although the houses sold rapidly, most purchases were by the relatively wealthy, as investments or second homes, and house prices rose sharply Cultural confusion: This part of the apparently British-themed town inexplicably has its signs in French Mock Tudor: Much of the architecture was directly copied from locations in the UK Where are we? A couple wander past blocks of flats modelled like middle-class British homes in the golden glow of the evening sun Find me the English cafe that looks like this: A Thames Town resident or visitor stares out of the window as she has a hot drink They've got the clothes right, not sure about the modes of transport: Chinese residents stroll around the streets of Thames Town The town consists mostly of low-density, single-family housing, with few commercial premises or community facilities. Some of the architecture has been directly copied from buildings found in England, including the church which was modelled on Christ Church in Clifton Down, Bristol, a pub and fish and chip shop copied from from buildings in Lyme Regis, Dorset, and The Cross in Chester. Although the houses sold rapidly, most purchases were by the relatively wealthy, as investments or second homes, and house prices rose sharply. Now only a 'handful' of people live there, according to reports, but the place does attract tourists wishing to take pictures of its English-style architecture. Newly-wed couples, in particular, flock to the site for pictures in front of the picturesque church and main square. We will never surrender! Chinese newlyweds walk past Thames Town's statue of Winston Churchill during their wedding photography shoots You'd be hard pressed to find one of these near the real Thames: A woman talks in an old style red phone box on a suburban-looking street Pretty authentic: A man looks at a London-style black cab produced by UK manufacturer Manganese Bronze Holdings For Queen and, er, the People: Thames Town even boasts replica members of the Queen's guard on patrol around its quiet streets (right) However, Thames Town's apparent rejection by Chinese families hasn't stopped architects in the country from putting up more copies of famous Western sites at an unprecedented rate. Other famous clones already include the Ronchamp Chapel in France, the Eiffel Tower in Paris - and the entire town of Hallstatt in Austria. And in January the thirst for clone buildings took an even more bizarre turn as it emerged that architects were even copying structures designed by Westerners in their own country. There's something missing: Thames Town is just one example of a range of architectural rip-offs emerging throughout China Almost deserted: The township is an eccentric mix of Victorian, Georgian and Tudor-style buildings A woman walks her baby through the empty streets of Thames Town: And there are a few modern-style developments of the kind which this country arguably needs more of Red coat: A guard watches passing traffic - there seem to be rather fewer shoplifters in this Chinese version of an English market town British architect Zaha Hadid said she was planning to take legal action after her eye-catching Wangjing Soho development in Beijing appears to have been replicated by what she calls 'pirate architects', in the city of Chongqing. Hadid had initially appeared relaxed about the idea of look-a-like buildings suggesting it would be 'quite exciting' if the cloned showed innovative mutations of the originals. However she added: 'It is fine to take from the same well, but not from the same bucket.' Lawyer Nigel Calvert told the Guardian: 'We will be demanding that the copycats immediately cease construction, change the exterior of the building, offer a public apology and provide compensation.' That's how we all dress in Britain: Another couple wander the streets of Thames Town for their wedding snaps Curiosity: Another view of the same street shows visitors checking out the town while it was still under construction in 2006 Bemusement: Western tourists stop to look at a statue in the streets of the British-themed town Certainly more colourful than most of the UK: A view of villas at Thames Town under construction in August 2006 Whatever next? A man tours the recently finished Thames Town on his bicycle in this 2006 photo taken as the first homes in the town came up for sale Got that 'new town' smell: A man is pictured riding his moped past executive homes in Thames Town in 2005, a year before it officially opened Newly minted: James Ho, head of Shanghai Hengde Real Estate, said he wanted the homes to look just like those in the United Kingdom Under construction: A workman wanders past nearly-finished homes in Thames Town, in this 2005 photo. the project cost a total of £500million to build Another hilarious example of China's architectural rip-offs is a version of London's iconic Tower Bridge which has been built in the city of Suzhou in the east of China. The Chinese model has twice as many towers as the original version spanning the River Thames but lacks the drawbridge mechanism. It does however boast a cafe selling 'English-style coffee'. But the most famous example of Chinese architects ripping off the West is the replica town of Hallstatt, the UNESCO-listed Austrian resort. Welcome which sprung up in Huizhou city in Southern China. No expense has been spared. The original Alpine buildings have been copied and reproduced with startling precision. Horse-drawn carriages and flocks of white doves will be imported to lend authenticity. The prices are amazing, too: a new villa here built in the style of a 300-year-old lakeside home is being offered at between £200,000 and £500,000, higher than the real thing in Austria.