A large Japanese-themed, mixed-use development under way in northeast China has suffered a setback after authorities ordered it to close its newly opened shopping complex.
“Tang Little Kyoto” is being developed in Dalian, Liaoning Province, by Chinese developer Dalian Shuyuan Group. The $925m scheme, which will eventually cover some 60ha, is intended to be a window on Japanese culture, a setting for Japanese companies such as Panasonic and a centre for Japanese porcelain, cosmetics and food.
Among the features is a shopping complex modelled on the Ninenzaka, an ancient road that has become a tourist attraction in Kyoto (pictured).
The complex, which makes up the first phase of the scheme, opened two weeks ago but became the target of hostile postings on China’s social media, which described it as a “cultural invasion”.
The Nikkei Asian Review visited the site yesterday, and reports that it has been closed off. An executive at Dalian Shuyuan Group told the paper the suspension order was issued by the municipal government of Dalian as an anti-coronavirus measure. The closure is temporary, but no date has been given for its reopening.
The Nikkei commented: “For the 29 shops that are part of phase one – including Panasonic’s electronics store, retailers of Hokkaido and Hiroshima products, as well as various Japanese restaurants – the suspension comes as a major blow.”
In an Augustarticle, the paper commented that the development did carry political risks, although it noted...
Read Full Story: https://www.globalconstructionreview.com/chinese-city-orders-new-japan-themed-complex-to-close-after-social-media-complaints/
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