The Windsors have Buckingham Palace. The Danish royal family has Amalienborg. Standing in the middle of the four wings of Amalienborg is overwhelming, and such a palace fit the former Danish Empire well (which then held Iceland, Norway, Greenland, the Færoes, the now-US-owned Virgin Islands, Shetland, Orkney and various outposts in Africa and Asia). Today, Amalienborg feels like a vestige of Denmark's colonial past, but like the UK it also features elaborately dressed palace guards. Recognize the hats?
Denmark, like all of Europe, has become a huge tourist destination for the growing Chinese middle class. Buses arrive at big sites like Amalienborg and deposit dozens and dozens of excited tourists. I was standing in the palace square, completely alone, and minutes later it was packed full of excited amateur photographers. Lots of cash for the Danes. Lots of memories for the Chinese. Everybody's happy.
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