Cities must reduce faux European architecture

Chen Yulu, a National People's Congress (NPC) deputy and president of the Renmin University of China.[Photo/Xinhua]

In the new-type urbanization as required by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in this year's government work report, local authorities should refrain from copying European architectural styles and work harder to promote local culture, suggested Chen Yulu, a National People's Congress (NPC) deputy and president of the Renmin University of China.

The country's rapid urbanization has fueled a massive building boom, but the lack of cultural protection and improper use of historical and cultural values has left many cities with an eerie copycat architectural landscape.

In the urbanization drive, local governments should focus on cultural preservation and consider the outlook, cultural atmosphere, geographical location and even the skyline of any construction project before giving the go-ahead, Chen emphasized at China's ongoing annual parliamentary session.

According to Chen, Chinese city planners should draw their lessons from the United States. There are more than 20 songs with the word "California" in their titles and Hollywood produces several movies in Seattle, San Francisco and New York every year. These cultural products can convey to the world a strong impression of American cities and additionally can promote the inheritance of local cultures.