China is known for knocking off making copycat versions of iPhones and designer bags, but a new knockoff of an entire village in Austria, which was unveiled this weekend, takes the cake.
The replica of Hallstatt, a centuries-old village in Austria, opened in the Chinese province of Guangdong amid some controversy, as natives of the original Hallstatt were not initially made aware that their historic buildings and streets were being ripped off.
China Unveils A Knockoff Version Of An Entire Austrian Village
by Julie Zeveloff and Robert Johnson
http://www.businessinsider.com/china-has-built-a-copycat-version-of-an-entire-austrian-village-2012-6?utm_source=sailthrusuggest&utm_medium=rightrail&utm_term=&utm_content=&utm_campaign=recirc#
China is known for knocking off making copycat versions of iPhones and designer bags, but a new knockoff of an entire village in Austria, which was unveiled this weekend, takes the cake.
The replica of Hallstatt, a centuries-old village in Austria, opened in the Chinese province of Guangdong amid some controversy, as natives of the original Hallstatt were not initially made aware that their historic buildings and streets were being ripped off.
It was only revealed last year when a Chinese visitor to Austria’s Hallstatt let word of the project slip, according to the AP.
The “made in China” version of the town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, cost an estimated $940 million to build, according to Reuters. The project was conceived by a Chinese mining tycoon and backed by Minmetals Land Inc.
Some residents of the original Hallstat, a town of around 900, made the journey to Guangdong to attend this weekend’s opening ceremony.