California Dreaming In Beijing

The latest fad among the wealthy in Beijing is to buy a home that looks like it belongs in California. Developers are constructing entire neighborhoods designed to look like America, down to names such as "Orange County" or "Long Beach." "Bits of American geography are popping up all over Beijing, the latest fashion in real estate marketing and sales. Soho, Central Park, Palm Springs and Manhattan Gardens are among recent developments...Houses are replicas of Southern California homes, designed by Southern California architects, with model homes decorated by Los Angeles interior designers. The basement pool tables are American. The appliances are imported. The tiles, wood siding and wall sconces are from the United States, too....[Homes] cost $1.5 million and up, ranging from yellow French country estates to Spanish stucco castles, each model home a pumped-up version of the American dream."