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 is reported to have cost an estimated $940 million to build but has become a major tourist attraction and real estate hot spot in the Pearl River Delta region. While it might seem strange, 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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