A younger more cynical me would have said it’s all fake. But these recently-built pagodas and temples are just as much part of today’s Chinese culture as the old ones are. No need to lament the original ones, now often gone. These new ones (all over China) find their way in the background of selfies on WeChat timelines. When we (foreigners) say ‘authentic’, we often mean old: the way grandma used to cook chicken soup – as if modern day life cannot be authentic. What does it mean anyway. So I say let’s celebrate *fake* newly-built pagodas, without blemish. The Chinese people like them, and the wood is just as real.
