It’s unclear how China's fascination with Hallstatt originated, but a report by BBC Travel suggests it may be due to the popular South Korean soap opera Spring Waltz, which shot some episodes in and around Hallstatt, introducing the area to millions of viewers in Asia.

The copycat town cost an estimated $940m to build according to website Business Insider but became a major tourist attraction and real estate hot spot in the Pearl River Delta region.

It's part of a broader trend in replicated town layouts; China features many such places, including a version of Venice complete with canals in Dalian, Liaoning province, a faux Eiffel Tower in Tianducheng, and a version of the American skiing destination Jackson Hole in Hebei.

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