Chinese are known for their very own original architecture, but when it comes to doing unique, like that of replicating a whole village, they are not behind that too. The Austrian village of Hallstat is almost a century old and nothing that modern in its architecture, but it did impress the Chinese to the extent that they totally copied it brick for brick and block by block. The village of Hallstat is one of the UNESCO heritage sites and for the same reason is a source of income for the local community.

The Chinese real estate development, Minmetals Land Inc., tried to create one of its own. Being China’s largest metals trader, it does seem something of a task they would be up to. The newly developed Chinese Hallstat is also up for sales. Although the Chinese are very proud of the task they have accomplished, the original Hallstat residents are not amused. Not because they felt any kind of a threat to their tourist destination on which depends their earnings, but because they did not like the Chinese fake version.

However, the Mayor Alexander Scheutz finds it flattering and has even signed on a cultural exchange between the two countries. If the idea catches on in China, may be they would create some other city in a similar way. The city of New York is often on the list of Chinese tourists, which is why they replicated that too, but out of snow only. Who knows what their next plan might be in replication?