Symbol of a good partnership:
The Basel basilisk fountain in Shanghai
A piece of Basel in Shanghai: The Swiss city on the Rhine gives Shanghai an original Basel basilisk fountain. The fountain is a token of the friendship between the two cities, both economic and cultural centres in their region, and both strong in research. Basel and Shanghai share their interest in a strong partnership.
In April 2009, Vice-president of the Government Dr. Carlo Conti dedicated the Basel landmark in the Chinese twin city in the presence of local representatives, local media, representatives of the Swiss authorities, of associations and companies, as well as a large numbers of onlookers. Since then, Basel has been physically present in the city. The gift from Basel – small but effective – had its effect and prompted Shanghai’s municipal authorities to pay tribute to it in a special brochure.
Young and old can admire the elegant green nineteenth century fountain in the recently redesigned Butterfly Bay Park in the Jing'An district. Visitors are welcome to send their photos to External Affairs and Marketing or to post them directly on the official Facebook page for the twinning initiative.
Download: Description of route to the basilisk fountain in Shanghai
Partnership for sustainability
The fresh-water fountain with its drinkable, filtered water is a reference to Basel’s presence at the World Expo Shanghai which took place from May to October 2010. Basel used this platform in collaboration with Geneva and Zurich for an exhibition entitled ‘Better Water – Best Urban Life’. In their pavilion, the three biggest Swiss cities demonstrated the correlation between sustainable management of public water sources and urban quality of life as a location factor.
A landmark of Basel: the basilisk fountain
The first basilisk fountain won an art contest in 1884. It was designed by Wilhelm Bubeck (1850-1890), an architekt and draughtsman. After the contest, the city commissioned 50 fountains consisting of a bronze basilisk and a cast iron basin decorated with intricate ornaments on the outside. The water is spewed out of the mouth of the basilisk into the round basin. Men, women and dogs can drink the refreshing water – there is a small dog bowl at the foot of the basin. Today, there are 28 public basilisk fountains spread throughout the city; a few more are located on private properties.
A strange pair: Basilea and the basilisk
The name of Basel is derived from the Greek «Basileus» (king, ruler), hence it means «Royal City». However, the linguistic connection to the basilisk is obvious. The mythical and fearsome dragon was very popular in the Middle Ages, often depicted holding the city’s coat of arms. The first and oldest basilisk fountain dates back to 1530 and can still be seen in Augustinergasse: An elaborate basilisk carved in stone holds the Basel coat of arms.
The basilisk – prestigious and legendary
In the Middle Ages, the «king of snakes» has often been depicted as a mythical creature, its torso a crowned rooster, its lower body a snake. It appears in several European towns and cities. The first depiction of the basilisk as the bearer of Basel’s coat of arms is found in a manuscript from 1448. There are several explanations for this. There is one story saying that a travelling merchant presented a stuffed basilisk at the Basel council (1431-1449). Apparently, the people in Basel were so awestruck by the horrible creature, that the government chose it as the bearer of the city’s coat of arms. Another legend refers to a basilisk living for centuries in a cave underneath Gerbergasse. A fountain was built where the mythical cave had been; the inscription still tells this tale today.
