By Tracy You For Mailonline
Published: 08:41 EDT, 27 March 2019 | Updated: 09:08 EDT, 27 March 2019
China's largest smartphone maker also has the most extraordinary office complex in the country, as it seems.
Telecommunication giant Huawei has spent some 10 billion yuan (£1.1 billion) building a massive fake European town from the ground in Dongguan in southern China to be its offices and labs.
Occupying 1.2 square kilometres (296 acres) or just a little smaller than London's Hyde Park, the Huawei Songshan Lake Base has redbrick castles, marble mansions and narrow winding alleys - all inspired by the architecture in 12 European destinations that Chinese people aspire to visit.
Britney's son Jayden says her Instagram posts are 'to get attention'
Exclusive clip from My Son Hunter starring Laurence Fox
Biden: 'I don't consider any Trump supporter a threat to the country'
Brutal moment an Aussie bouncer knocks out an American Marine
Liza Minnelli walks with help after years of being wheelchair-bound
NYC woman gets robbed at gunpoint in front of Queens home
Couple discover creepy hidden room behind wall in Brighton home
Joe Biden's full Soul of the Nation speech from Philadelphia
Couple carjacked whilst having sex on the back seat of their vehicle
Jean-Pierre: 'If you don't agree with the majority, you're extreme'
President Biden walks back his attacks on MAGA Republicans
Owner of Rockstar Cheer responds to allegations of sexual assault
Huawei's new offices in Songshan Lake in southern China's Dongguan city officially entered service on July 1 last year
Officially known as the Huawei Ox Horn Campus, the town occupies 3,459 acres, or about a quarter of the size of Manhattan
The architecture in the base is inspired by 12 European destinations that Chinese people aspire to visit, including UK and Italy
In the complex designed to host 30,000 employees, there is a Moorish plaza at the 'Granada' Zone, neo-classical buildings copied from the campus of Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris at the 'Paris' Zone and waterways weaving through the 'Verona' Zone.
The other zones are based on Krumlov in Czech Republic, Fribourg in Switzerland, Bourgogne in France, Heidelberg in Germany, Bologna in Italy, Oxford and Windermere in the UK, Bruges in Belgium and Luxemburg.
All zones are linked by red tram trains imported from Switzerland, which run with an interval of five minute or so. Cafes and restaurants there serve what is branded as 'authentic European cuisine'.
The Songshan Lake base is officially known as the Huawei Xiliu Beipo Village and is one of the most ambitious projects of the Fortune 500 company.
It's also known as the Ox Horn Campus in English due to its outline resembling an ox's horn when viewed from above.
In the complex designed to host 30,000, there is a Moorish plaza at the 'Granada' Zone, neo-classical buildings copied from the campus of Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris at the 'Paris' Zone and waterways weaving through the 'Verona' Zone
The other zones in the Huawei office complex are based on Krumlov in Czech Republic, Fribourg in Switzerland, Bourgogne in France, Heidelberg in Germany, Bologna in Italy, Oxford and Windermere in the UK, Bruges in Belgium and Luxemburg
All zones are linked by red tram trains, which run with an interval of five minute or so and can loop the town in 20 minutes
Surveillance cameras are seen inside the Huawei's Ox Horn campus, a.k.a. Huawei Xiliu Beipo Village, at Songshan Lake in Dongguan. It is called the Ox Horn Campus due to its silhouette resembling an ox's horn when viewed from above
Construction of the European town started in 2014. Its first phase entered service on July 1 last year and more structures are still being built.
The campus now has 12,600 employees. Every morning, dozens of shuttle buses take them from downtown Shenzhen, where Huawei is headquartered, to Songshan Lake about 50 kilometres (31 miles) away to work, according to Chinese news outlet China News Weekly.
It is said that Huawei's founder, 75-year-old soldier-turned-billionaire Ren Zhengfei, has always hoped for a creative but casual work environment in an office area that resembles a small town - something like what Google or Apple has.
Therefore, it has always been a dream of self-made Ren, who is worth approximately £1.6 billion ($2.1 billion), to build a place like the Ox Horn Campus.
Construction of the European town started in 2014. Its first phase entered service in 2018 and more structures are being built
Every morning, some 12,600 Huawei employees take dozens of shuttle buses from downtown Shenzhen, where Huawei is headquartered, to Songshan Lake about 50 kilometres (31 miles) away to work, according to Chinese news outlet The Paper
Inspired by pictures and footage of the Huawei town, Chinese people are now flocking to see the campus and some say they can 'travel throughout Europe in one day in Huawei'. The town's tram system has 12 stations corresponding to the 12 zones
It is said that Huawei's founder, 75-year-old soldier-turned-billionaire Ren Zhengfei, has always hoped for a creative but casual work environment in an office area that resembles a small town - something like what Google or Apple has
The base is currently dedicated to the research and development of Huawei products, including phones and 5G technology, but more workers are expected to move there.
In the future, Huawei workers could apply to live in the European-style town in one of the company's 30,000 flats; and other departments will be relocated there, including HiSilicon, a company owned by Huawei that makes semiconductor products, a report on The Paper said.
Huawei is also planning to build an international school in the town, which is set to run classes from kindergarten to senior high level, according to Sina.
While the 'European town' mainly functions as offices for Huawei workers, people can apply to visit some part of it as tourists.
It's always been a dream of Ren, who is worth approximately £1.6 billion ($2.1 billion), to build a place like the Ox Horn Campus
The base is currently dedicated to the research and development of Huawei products, including phones and 5G technology
In the future, other departments will be relocated there, including HiSilicon, a subsidiary that makes semiconductor products
Huawei workers could apply to live in the European-style town in one of the company's 30,000 flats, according to reports
A man walks past boxes with Huawei logo inside Ox Horn campus at Songshan Lake in Dongguan. Huawei is also planning to build an international school in the town, which is set to have classes from kindergarten to senior high level, according to Sina
Inspired by pictures and footage of the Huawei town, such as this one on Weibo, young people are now flocking to see it and some say they can 'travel throughout Europe in one day in Huawei'.
However, it is said that tourists are barred from Huawei's secretive research and development sections in Songshan Lake.
Dongguan, where Huawei's new offices are located, have long been branded as China's 'factory for the world'. The city's factories have been manufacturing handbags, toys, shoes, T-shirts, among others, for worldwide clients as soon as China opened up its economy some four decades ago in 1978.
While the complex mainly functions as offices for Huawei workers, people can apply to visit some part of it as tourists
However, it is said that tourists are barred from Huawei's secretive research and development sections in Songshan Lake
A Huawei logo is seen at the entrance of the Huawei Cyber Security Lab at the Huawei production base in Donggguan
Dongguan in Guangdong, where Huawei's new offices are located, have long been branded as China's 'factory for the world'
Huawei's President Ren has previously told Chinese media that his company's headquarters would remain in Shenzhen
Ren was quoted saying: 'Companies will move to places where the cost is low, high cost will destroy your competitiveness'
A surveillance camera is seen in front of Huawei logo outside its Ox Horn Campus, a surreal European town in Southern China
Huawei's President Ren has previously told Chinese media that his company's headquarters would remain in Shenzhen, but its offices would gradually spread out.
Ren was quoted saying: '140 years ago, the world's centre was in Pittsburgh because of steel; 70 years ago, the world's centre was in Detroit because of cars; now where is the centre of the world? I don't know, but it will decentralised.
'Companies will move to places where the cost is low, high cost will destroy your competitiveness.'
Huawei beat Apple to become the world's second largest smartphone maker after South Korea's Samsung last August. In 2017, it raked in 603.6 billion yuan (£68.7 billion) revenue.
Exclusive clip from My Son Hunter starring Laurence Fox
Biden: 'I don't consider any Trump supporter a threat to the country'
Brutal moment an Aussie bouncer knocks out an American Marine
Liza Minnelli walks with help after years of being wheelchair-bound
Biden says Trump and MAGA 'threaten foundations of our republic'
Couple discover creepy hidden room behind wall in Brighton home
Joe Biden's full Soul of the Nation speech from Philadelphia
British tourist stabbed while bravely fighting off gang of robbers
Jean-Pierre: 'If you don't agree with the majority, you're extreme'
President Biden walks back his attacks on MAGA Republicans
Owner of Rockstar Cheer responds to allegations of sexual assault
New TMZ documentary 'Who Really Killed Michael Jackson' released soon
Incredible building feat! I wish architects in L...
The comments below have not been moderated.
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
We are no longer accepting comments on this article.
Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd
Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group