The Chinese province of Hebei is once again in the headlines after its latest tourist attraction – a replica of Japan’s Mount Fuji Chinese – drew widespread mockery and went viral.
Universe Fantasy Land, developed by Linqigu Real Estate Company, opened last September, with the aim of recreating the original Japan’s iconic mountain by painting the top of a hill white, and staging weekly pink smoke ‘volcanic eruptions’ – a spectacle that ultimately sparked more laughter online than awe on site.
The attraction, dubbed the ‘snow cap matcha volcano’ by netizens, charges 98 yuan (€12) per visitor, although discounted tickets are available online for 78 yuan (€9.40). and those wishing to camp on-site must pay an extra 48 yuan (€5.8).
According to the promotional video, the site promises an ‘enchanting’, ‘storybook-like escape’ from everyday life. The destination is marketed as a dreamlike landscape complete with a mountain, a lake, green meadows, a white horse, and a quaint wooden cottage, some might see some Heidi in the mountains in it, or other alpine fantasies. The idea is to offer urban dwellers a whimsical escape from the pressure of city life.
However, reality seems to fall short. Despites claims from a staff member that the site had improved since its opening, many visitors report feeling misled or outright scammed. ‘Just a small hill with white paint on its top. It has nothing to do with Mount Fuji,’ one user wrote.
There’s a fake Mount Fuji at 宇宙思想乐园 (cosmic thought park) in Linqi Valley (林栖谷), Yongqing County (永清县), Langfang (廊坊), Heibei, near Beijing…
— Byron Wan (@Byron_Wan) May 2, 2025
left video: what you see in promo videos
right pics and video: what you actually see there
😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/HEPH8o2qL1
Another quipped: ‘You do not need to pay to capture photos with the real Mount Fuji, yet here you have to pay for the fake one,’ another quipped.
One tourist noted that the white horse is only available for an hour each day for photo ops with mountain as backdrop, and another said this ain’t ‘no Mount Fuji – just a hill with white paint!’
If the real Mount Fuji in Japan is indeed visible for free from 22 of the 47 Japanese prefectures on clear days, and has inspired numerous artists in Japan – most famously Katsushika Hokusai’s Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji – a trip to Japan does incur other expenses, though…
Other comments on X, ranged from ‘Low-level parody,’ to straight-out criticism of the entire country, with ‘Everything in China is fake, because the Chinese culture takes great pride in cheating,’ or a sardonic ‘That was clearly the result of some deep thought’.
This is far from Hebei first foray into copycat architecture. The province is famous for its replicas of worldwide monuments and sites, including the Eiffel Tower, the Sphinx of Giza and even a small-scale version of the Great Chinese wall, despite the fact that the real thing directly through Hebei.
Fake Paris… Made in China! 😂
— Cultural Maverick (@CulturalMaverik) December 8, 2018
Here’s a replica of French capital Paris. It in located in suburb of the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou. It's much cheaper than the original, much less busy, much smaller… and just as romantic… 💕 pic.twitter.com/YGNqWvkI5B
Launched in 2010, the initiative was launched as part of a local development strategy aimed at stimulating the local economy, creating jobs and offering more easily accessible and affordable alternatives to international travel.
And laugh as they may, the region’s tourism sector is thriving. While the exact visitor numbers are unavailable, officials estimate that 70% of visitors are locals – from the Beijing – Tianjin – Hebei region. Hebei’s tourism revenue in 2023 exceeded 1 trillion yuan (€130 million), thanks in part to popular sites like Forlong ski resorts and Genting Snow Park.
As an ironic footnote, a Chinese tourist had to be rescued twice last week from the real Mount Fuji in Japan, first after suffering altitude sickness, and again four days later when he returned to retrieve his…
