China's 5,000-year-old splendid civilization has precipitated countless cultural histories, and the once prosperous ancient towns and famous cities have long been annihilated due to wars and changes of the times, however, history and feelings still exist. In recent years, after renovation or new construction, many ancient towns have been reborn in modern times, and they are presented in front of people's eyes with new antique buildings and similar decorations, and are nicknamed "fake ancient towns".
The following are the top 10 "fake ancient towns" with an astonishing amount of investment in China, which range from hundreds of millions to tens of billions, and the ticket price can reach up to 300 yuan. Despite the criticism of these places, they still attract a large number of tourists every year. So, are these "fake ancient towns" worth visiting?
Kaifeng Qingming Shanghe Park.
Kaifeng, once the capital of the Song Dynasty, was one of the most prosperous cities in the world. However, after the Jingkang disaster, its prosperity disappeared. In order to relive the prosperity of the year, Qingming Shanghe Park cost 20 billion yuan and covered an area of 600 acres. Based on the "Qingming Riverside Map", the park restores the thousand-year-old prosperity of the ancient capital of Bianjing. As the first batch of national 5A-level scenic spots.
The uniqueness of Qingming Shanghe Park lies in its vivid creativity, through live performances such as the Battle of Tokyo and Yue Fei's Spear Picking Xiaoliang King, bringing history to life, making visitors feel as if they have traveled back in time. Although there are many criticisms, it is called the most value-for-money and fun scenic spot by netizens.
Landmark: No. 5, Longting West Road, Longting District, Kaifeng City.
Hangzhou Songcheng. Songcheng is a restored ancient town of the Song Dynasty, with a total investment of up to 20 billion. Its architectural pattern refers to the famous painting of the Northern Song Dynasty "Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival". With quaint buildings, narrow alleys and antique atmosphere, it receives more than 10 million tourists annually and is a national 4A-level tourist attraction.
There are large-scale experience performances such as the Cinema Hall, the Light and Shadow Hall, and the Liaozhai Horror Haunted House in Songcheng. Among them, the large-scale song and dance of "Songcheng Eternal Love" is known as the soul of Songcheng, which lasts for more than 1 hour and can be performed up to 18 times a day. Although it has received bad reviews since its opening on May 18, 1996, it has been accused of lacking historical and cultural connotations, and it is completely a commercial entertainment venue, relying on hype and propaganda to fool tourists, and commercial performances are expensive, and it is known as the most expensive scenic spot in Hangzhou.
Landmark: No. 148, Zhijiang Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang.
The ancient city of Taierzhuang, with a long history, is rooted in the Qin and Han dynasties, flourished in the Tang and Song dynasties, and the glorious period was in the Ming and Qing dynasties, especially in the Ming and Wanli periods. Under the blessing of Emperor Qianlong, it was known as "the first village in the world" and became a national 5A-level scenic spot.
However, the Battle of Taierzhuang in 1938 left the ancient city in ruins. In April 2008, after an investment of 7.2 billion yuan, the ancient city of Taierzhuang began a reconstruction project of more than 5 years, and in August 2013, it was reborn, showing the appearance of 15 kilometers of water streets and alleys, more than 100 shops and 6,000 houses.
Today's ancient city of Taierzhuang, although large-scale, is full of controversy. Some people think that the urban planning and design are too chaotic, and the various styles of buildings are disorganized, giving people a sense of incongruity. At the same time, some tourists also criticized the ticket price for being too high and the commercial atmosphere too strong.
Landmark: Taierzhuang District, Zaozhuang City, Shandong Province.
The ancient county seat of Taiyuan, located in Shanxi, has a profound historical and cultural heritage. Although the ancient buildings in Shanxi rank first in the country, most of the ancient cities and towns no longer exist. The ancient county town of Taiyuan was built in the early Ming Dynasty and underwent a restoration project, which lasted eight years and cost 30 billion yuan, and opened on May 1, 2021.
The circumference of the current ancient county town of Taiyuan is 38 kilometers, there are nine streets and eighteen lanes, showing the historical style of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The castle towers and city walls retain the characteristics of simplicity and majesty. However, despite only a year since its opening, the ancient city has surpassed the popularity of the ancient city of Pingyao, receiving 50,000 people every day during the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day. However, many tourists have reported that the management of the ancient city is lagging behind, and small vendors at the entrance occupy the road, resulting in traffic congestion, and some shops are too idle.
Landmark: Fengcheng East Street, Jinyuan District, Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province.
The ancient city of Luoyi, located in Luoyang, has invested 12.7 billion yuan and has been built into a comprehensive ancient city integrating food, housing, transportation, entertainment and shopping. Although most of them are new buildings, they still retain some precious cultural monuments, such as the ruins of the ancient city of Luoyang in the Jin and Yuan dynasties, the Confucian Temple of Henan Province, and the landmark Wenfeng Pagoda.
Xintan Lake has become a highlight of the ancient city, at night, the water is shrouded in fairy mist, and the flat boat carries beautiful women wearing Hanfu, creating a dreamy atmosphere of the Tang Dynasty. The ancient city of Luoyi has always been a popular attraction in Luoyang, with an annual tourist volume of more than 20 million. However, some people criticized that the ancient city does not live up to its name, except for the Wenfeng Pagoda, there is hardly any cultural heritage in sight, and it is more like a place for tourists to wear Hanfu to take pictures, lacking real historical connotation.
Landmark: The old town of Luoyang City, Henan Province.
The ancient town of Tongguan kiln was inspired by the ceramic culture of Tongguan kiln in the Tang Dynasty and was built with an investment of nearly 10 billion yuan. It not only has seven museums such as the Kiln Museum and the Coin Museum, but also 18 cultural attractions and more than 20 unique hotels.
In this ancient town, visitors can indulge in a variety of exciting entertainment activities. Water shows, fireworks shows, blackstone stunt shows, iron flowers, robot shows, etc. are staged every day, bringing a new audio-visual feast to visitors. Among them, the phoenix moon performance is particularly fascinating, and when night falls, the ladder slowly rises, and two beautiful fire phoenixes soar in the sky, which is intoxicating.
Although Tongguanyao Ancient Town has been controversial since its opening, some people have criticized it for its excessively high fees, flashy and unrealistic, first-class consumption, and only focusing on performances and lacking a living atmosphere. However, even such a controversial antique town has shown amazing popularity. During the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day this year, more than 150,000 people visited the park, and its popularity reached Orange Island, becoming one of the top ten popular attractions in Changsha.
Geographical indication: No. 1, Tongguanyao Road, Tongguan Street, Wangcheng District, Changsha City.
Taihu Ancient Town, located in Huzhou City, is only more than 40 kilometers away from Nanxun, with a construction area of 660,000 square meters and a total investment of 5 billion yuan. Although the whole ancient town is a brand new antique building, it presents a small bridge and flowing water, antique style, especially at night. Fireworks and shows are the main attraction of the town, with lanterns hanging high, fireworks blooming, water curtain lights reflecting the water, and performers in ancient costumes singing and dancing.
The center of the ancient town is the Ten Thousand Buddha Pagoda, which is one of the most dazzling buildings in the ancient town when night falls, and the brilliant lights make it one of the most dazzling buildings in the ancient town. When tourists are tired of playing, they can go to the snack street to taste Huzhou's special food.
There is no entrance fee for entering and exiting Taihu Ancient Town, so it has a super high cost performance. However, some negative reviews are also unavoidable, some people think that this is just a man-made attraction, the antique building lacks realism, it is more like a shopping area, the food is expensive, the hygiene needs to be improved, and the sound volume is uncomfortably loud.
Geographical indication: Huzhou Changxing County Yang Xiao Line Taihu Lake Dragon Dream Park.
Beijing is the ancient capital of the Six Dynasties and is famous for its majestic Forbidden City and the beautiful and tranquil Summer Palace. However, in the suburbs of Miyun, near the Simatai Great Wall, there is a hidden Gubei water town known as the "Wuzhen of the North".
In 2014, the local government invested 4.5 billion yuan based on Wuzhen and lasted more than three years to create a resort town imitating the style of water towns in the south of the Yangtze River. Gubei Water Town integrates sightseeing, leisure, vacation and creative culture, showing the scenery of small bridges and flowing waters, just like a water town in the south of the Yangtze River. Fountain shows, Kong Ming lantern shows, and drone light shows are the highlights that attract tourists.
However, there are mixed reviews of Gubei Water Town. Some netizens think that this is just a large commercial street, with ordinary scenery, imitating the water towns in the south of the Yangtze River and lacking uniqueness. Some people pointed out that the sanitary conditions in the scenic area are poor, the goods are outrageous, the interest is not high, and the tickets are not commensurate.
Landmark: Gubeishui Town, Simatai Village, Gubeikou Town, Miyun District, Beijing.
Located in Xiangyang, Tangcheng is the birthplace of Chu culture and Three Kingdoms culture, and is known as the "first city in China". Built in 2012, with Xiangyang cultural elements as the background, China Tangcheng is an antique building complex covering an area of 600 acres, with a total investment of 1.3 billion.
China's Tang City is lined with shops, classical architecture and the sparkling Han water. The lights at night are brilliant and gorgeous, and the performing arts show is fascinating, as if traveling back in time to Datang. In the past few years, it has successfully become a 4A scenic spot, nicknamed "Xiaohengdian", and it is also the filming location of film and television works such as "The Legend of the Cat Demon", "Turandot", and "Bright Bone".
However, there is also a disagreement about the Chinese Tang City. Some netizens believe that China's Tang City is not very good, just some antique buildings, and the observability is not high. Catering is expensive, a bowl of rice noodles costs 20 yuan, and the cost performance is low.
Landmark: Shijiamiao Village, Xiangyang Road, Xiangcheng District, Xiangyang City.