On the east coast of Taiwan, a “church” inspired by Cinderella tries to be a “magnet for weddings.”Since the beginning of its economic boom, the so-called “rare architecture” has been a trend in China. After four decades of practically uninterrupted development, with a frantic rhythm of construction and urbanization (with environmental consequences large urban centers are already starting to feel), China is home to a series of buildings that are not only extravagant, but openly kitschy.
Taiwan is not exempt from the trend. One of these eyesores is the so-called “Cinderella Church,” a chapel apparently not attached to any creed (no regular services are celebrated in it) that nevertheless wants to become the ideal setting for a dream wedding.
It is a 17-meter high building, made with 320 panels of blue glass, shaped as a high-heel shoe. It is a gigantic version of Disney’s Cinderella’s slipper, designed to cater to the popular Chinese trend of celebrating Western-style weddings.
The building, which costed approximately 623,000 euros, is an initiative of Taiwan’s tourism directorate. Of course, it has already been publicly questioned, claiming that it is an oversimplification not only of femininity, but of the very institution of marriage.
However, those responsible for the building have responded the building is a tribute to a young Taiwanese girl who, during the 60s, suffered a blockage of the arteries and vessels in her legs. Eventually, she lost both legs, and her fiancé cancelled their wedding.
After her abandonment, as the Iberian journal ABC reports, the girl spent her life as a recluse. In theory, the building seeks to remind those who marry that marriage is indeed “in health and illness.” But, most say, good intentions don’t make the building any less ugly.
