Did you know that you can stroll through Granada and the Alhambra thousands of kilometers from Andalusia? And we are not talking about virtual tours, but a real experience, to live in person, physically present. We are referring to the Huawei campus dedicated to R&D and located in the Chinese province of Guangdong (Canton). In this newly built mega-complex, the technology giant decided to draw inspiration from Europe’s most evocative monuments. And Granada was one of the 12 cities chosen (the only Spanish one, by the way).
As you can imagine, we do not offer our services in this Asian country (although anything is possible :P), but in this post, we show you this rarity that will fill Granadans with pride and demonstrates that this city and this palatial complex exert a spectacular power of attraction worldwide. It almost became one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World for a reason!
What is the Huawei Campus?
The Huawei campus is colloquially known as the Ox Horn campus, its R center, located near its large headquarters in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. It opened in 2019 and houses some 20,000 employees of this Chinese technology giant. The project, according to some estimates, cost around 1.3 billion euros and was carried out by the Japanese architectural firm Nikken Sekkei.
What this campus is like: The European Village
This Huawei campus is known by its employees as the European Village, as it recreates a kind of ideal city, blending the best of 12 cities from the Old Continent. This has been interpreted as a nod from the company to a market as important as Europe.
Granada, in the Huawei Campus’s Select Group
Of the 12 European cities chosen, Granada is one of the most prominent, as the complex features a life-size replica of the Palace of Charles V, from the Alhambra. In addition, picturesque corners of the Albaicín are reproduced.
In the company’s words, ‘The Granada Zone’ of this mega-complex is the “perfect blend of East and West” and between “unique architecture and stunning natural landscapes.” A brief and precise description of this city, which we endorse word for word.
What does Granada’s inclusion in the Huawei campus mean?
We do not know if the Junta de Andalucía participated in Granada’s inclusion in the Huawei campus, although we assume not, or at least not very actively. However, it can be interpreted as a genuine tribute to the city, a true recognition of the monumental destination’s tourism power. And it will perpetually generate interest for a growing niche of travelers in Andalusia: Chinese tourists. A true gift that is worth more than any advertising campaign on Chinese soil!
So, if you had doubts about visiting the Alhambra’s interior, this interesting curiosity will surely have dispelled them. If so, we remind you that Andalucía Exclusiva can provide you with group or private guided tours so that you can thoroughly explore this internationally renowned jewel.
And by the way, if you were curious to know which are the other 11 cities chosen to accompany Granada on the Huawei campus, take note: Versailles, Paris, London, Bruges, Verona, Budapest, Freiburg, Bologna, Heidelberg, Oxford, and Český Krumlov. What a privilege to be part of it!
