Maggi becomes a disaster, will Venice be loved to death?

In the window of a pharmacy in central Venice, a digital counter displays the total number of people living in the heart of the historic city.

At that moment, the reading showed 55120 (which was slightly higher than before). The problem is, this counter is actually counting down, warning the world that hundreds of people are leaving Venice every year.

In the past, people suddenly fled because of plague. Now Venetians are complaining about another kind of plague: tourism.

The great French writer Hugo once said that historic buildings have two meanings: one is its purpose, and the other is its beauty. Use is for the owner, beauty belongs to everyone.

Some Venetians have made fortunes from tourism, as has always been the case throughout history; other shops have closed to make way for new hotels; cruise ships keep arriving, and homes have become vacation rentals.

Venetians are escaping from what they consider to be the "most comfortable paradise", with annual visitors now reaching 20 million. The question is: will Venice eventually die because it is too beautiful, will it be loved to death?

Sarah Quill has been a photographer in Venice for the past forty years and has taken countless photos. Her personal portfolio illustrates the remarkable changes in Venice: from a former home for Venetians themselves to a tourist attraction today that cannot bear the burden of large numbers of tourists.

Quell said, "For working people, this job is no longer possible. If you have an appointment, you can't avoid the city center. However, those quiet early mornings have long become distant." Memory.”

One of Venice’s problems is precisely her representation. In this era of rapid urbanization, Venice is a place full of tranquility, comfort and spiritual comfort. If you live in a booming metropolis in China with a population of thirty million, Venice must seem more like the other extreme of idealism.

Venice is a city built on a lagoon island, surrounded by water and unable to expand. This is the gold standard for human survival and the ideal city in the minds of people all over the world.

So, how can we save our love for beauty from being harmed by economic development? Now, Venetians complain that the Chinese have bought bars and houses, but before the Chinese came, there were Russians, Americans, and maybe 200 years ago, there were Austrians.

The great British writer John Ruskin once half-jokingly proposed that there be an extra charge to come to Venice. Now some Venetians think so too. The extra charge would increase city revenue but should not reduce visitor numbers, which is exactly what Venice needs.

Now, protesters say that if there were a gate, Venice would become a theme park and not a living city at all.

So, why can’t Venice be turned into a protected area to protect it?

Because this is a cultural holy place, why can't it limit the number of pilgrims each year like the holy land of Mecca? Perhaps, visiting Venice should not be a human right.

In England, Julian Barnes creates a fictional tourist version of England, presented in one convenient location on the Isle of Wight. All the good stuff from Britain.

The place "England" has developed quite successfully, and finally became an independent country and joined the European Union. However, the real England is declining day by day. Can we also imagine "Venice of Venice"?

Sadly, Japan’s version of Venice—an Italian shopping experience with canals and gondolas—went bankrupt and closed.

However, there are commercially successful replicas of Venice in Dubai, Qatar, Istanbul and, of course, Las Vegas. The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas has also opened its own replica in Macau, although China already has its own Venetian Water City in Hangzhou.

In fact, the real Venice itself is not entirely real. Those horses in St. Mark’s Basilica are replicas, didn’t you expect that? The medieval bell tower opposite collapsed in 1902 and was rebuilt brick by brick. Can you tell the difference?

Can’t we save the truth by embracing the false? Venice is like a giant panda, charming and unsuitable for life in the modern world, but its symbolic meaning is too strong to allow her to disappear. If people’s favorite wild animals can finally survive only in zoos or protected areas, why can’t precious cities do the same?

Let us re-create a Venice. All the good-looking things are rebuilt from scratch in the same place. The planning can be more organized and convenient for tourists to take pictures; the ebb and flow of the tide can be more guaranteed; there is no smell; there is More food options; better water and water facilities.

Of course, you and me, we can still go to the authentic old Venice and play a little game of spotting the differences.