London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Mar 03, 2026

Chinese town built to look just like Paris complete with a fake Eiffel Tower

Tianducheng is a replica of Paris complete with its own versions of the Eiffel Tower and other landmarks
Visitors can wander down the Champs Elysées, take a selfie in front of the Eiffel Tower and admire the Arc de Triomphe's architecture... in China.

That's because the town of Tianducheng was built to look just like a replica of the French capital, complete with some of the iconic landmarks.

For example, there's a roundabout which includes a copy of the Arc de Triomphe (although traffic is significantly quieter than the original spot).

Meanwhile, you can wander through the landscaped gardens that are a nod to the iconic Luxembourg Garden - complete with a fountain that's a copy of the real one back in France.

For those who have the Champs Elysées on their bucket list, there's a copy of the main square, although you won't find the shops and boutiques that are found in Paris.

Meanwhile, apartment blocks have been built to replicate Parisian-style architecture, including some of the cobbled streets and landscaped gardens that the city is renowned for.

The Parisian replica measures approximately 12 sq miles.

The resemblance is pretty impressive, despite the town being located approximately 6,000 miles east of the City of Lights.

One of the highlights is the 'Eiffel Tower', which is approximately a third of the original in Paris. (The real Eiffel Tower measures 1,063 feet high and weighs approximately 10,100 tons).

The town in the Yuhang District near Hangzhou, China, has been around since 2007 and was initially built to house around 10,000 residents.

As it's on the outskirts of Hangzhou, there are plenty of transport links from the city to this fake Paris.

Unsurprisingly, it does attract some visitors who come for the quirky photo opps, as well as locals who visit to get a taste of the French city without having to splash the cash on flights to go and see the real thing.

Of course travelling to China (or France) isn't possible for Brits at the moment due to global travel restrictions during the pandemic.

However, if you are after a quirky day out, there are heaps of British alternatives to iconic landmarks worth bookmarking.

We're talking hotspots that are similar to the likes of the Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China - it's not quite the same, but it could be just the thing to tide you over until travel re-opens properly again!
Comments

VS 5 year ago
Wow! It looks exactly the same ..... except I can’t see any North Africans there.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Arrests Prominent Figures Linked to Epstein Network as Questions Mount Over US Action
Trump Says UK ‘Took Far Too Long’ to Approve Use of Airbases for Iran Strikes
Scope of Britain’s Role in the Expanding Middle East Conflict Comes Under Scrutiny
Trump Says He Is ‘Very Disappointed’ in Starmer Over Iran Comments
Starmer Confronts Strategic Test After Drone Strike Near British Base in Cyprus
Rolls-Royce Chief Signals Openness to Germany Joining UK-Led Fighter Jet Programme
UK Stocks Slip as Escalating Iran Conflict Triggers Global Market Selloff
UK Overhauls Asylum System to Make Refugee Status Temporary
Starmer Warns of ‘Reckless’ Iranian Strikes Amid Escalating Regional Tensions
British Base in Cyprus Targeted as Drones Intercepted Amid Expanding Iran Conflict
Starmer Diverges from Trump on Iran Strategy, Rejects ‘Regime Change from the Skies’
U.S. and Israel Intensify Strikes on Iran as Conflict Expands to Lebanon and Gulf States
Violent Pro-Iranian Protesters Storm U.S. Consulate in Karachi
Missile Debris Sparks Fires at Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port Near Palm Jumeirah
Iran Strikes U.S. Fifth Fleet Headquarters in Bahrain Amid Wider Gulf Retaliation
When the State Replaces the Parent: How Gender Policy Is Redefining Custody and Coercion
Bill Clinton Denies Knowing Woman in Hot Tub Photo During Closed-Door Epstein Deposition
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton Testifies on Ties to Jeffrey Epstein Before Congressional Oversight Committee
Dyson Reaches Settlement in Landmark UK Forced Labour Case
Barclays and Jefferies Shares Fall After UK Mortgage Lender Collapse Rekindles Credit Market Concerns
Play Exploring Donald Trump’s Rise to Power by ‘Lehman Trilogy’ Author to Premiere in the UK
Man Arrested After Churchill Statue Defaced in Central London
Keir Starmer Faces Political Setback as Labour Finishes Third in High-Profile By-Election
UK Assisted Dying Bill Set to Fall Short in Parliament as Regional Initiatives Gain Ground
UK Defence Ministry Clarifies Position After Reports of Imminent Helicopter Contract
Independent Left-Wing Plumber Secures Shock Victory as Greens Surge in UK By-Election
Reform UK Refers Alleged ‘Family Voting’ Incidents in By-Election to Police
United Kingdom Temporarily Withdraws Embassy Staff from Iran Amid Heightened Regional Tensions
UK Government Reaches Framework Agreement on Release of Mandelson Vetting Files
UK Police Contracts With Israeli Surveillance Firms Spark Debate Over Ethics and Oversight
United Airlines Passenger Hears Cockpit Conversations After Accessing In-Flight Audio Channel
Spain to Conduct Border Checks on Gibraltar Arrivals Under New Post-Brexit Framework
Engie Shares Jump After $14 Billion Agreement to Acquire UK Power Grid Assets
BNP Paribas Overtakes Goldman Sachs in UK Investment Banking League Tables
Geothermal Project to Power Ten Thousand Homes Marks UK Renewable Energy Milestone
UK Visa Grants Drop Nineteen Percent in 2025 as Migration Controls Tighten
Barclays and Jefferies Among Banks Exposed to Collapse of UK Mortgage Lender MFS
UK Asylum Applications Edge Down in 2025 Despite Rise in Small Boat Crossings
Jefferies Reports Significant Exposure After Collapse of UK Lender MFS
FTSE 100 Reaches Fresh Record Highs as Major Share Buybacks and Earnings Lift London Stocks
So, what's happened is, I think, government policy, not just under Labour, but under the Conservatives as well, has driven a lot of small landlords out of business.
Larry Summers, the former U.S. Treasury Secretary, is resigning from Harvard University as fallout continues over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
U.S. stocks ended higher on Wednesday, with the Dow gaining about six-tenths of a percent, the S&P 500 adding eight-tenths of a percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq climbing roughly one-and-a-quarter percent.
From fears of AI-fuelled unemployment to Big Tech's record investment, this is AI Weekly.
Apple just dropped iOS 26.4.
US Lawmakers Seek Briefing from UK Over Reported Encryption Order Directed at Apple
UK Business Secretary Calls on EU to Remove Trade Barriers Hindering Growth
Legal Pathways for Removing Prince Andrew from Britain’s Line of Succession Examined
PM Netanyahu welcome India PM Narendra Modi to Israel
Shadow Diplomacy: How Harry and Meghan’s Jordan Trip Undermines the Monarchy
×