Paris in….China?

You know, if I were to casually glance at this photo, I’d believe it were actually taken in Paris: The Eiffel Tower….those other buildings. Very Parisian. But look a little closer and you’ll realize that it’s not actually Paris at all. It’s not even Disneyworld. It’s China.

Located in the residential area of Tianducheng just outside of Hangzhou in East China’s Zhejiang Province lies this modest recreation of the Champ de Mars and Gustave’s greatest creation. Just over 2,000 people live here. What’s especially weird is that I can’t find any more information on this save for the photos. You’d think that a fake Paris sprouting up in China would have received some press somewhere. More pics (from Reuters) after the jump.

[via]

France’s Visitors Equal Its Population

Here is an interesting fact I came across. The number of people who visit France each year is equal to its population. Each equals 60 million. [source: National Geographic Traveler] Of the visitors, here are some statistics about Paris, the city that is partly responsible for the visitor bounty.:

  • number of people who visit the Eiffel Tower: more than 6 million
  • number of people who visit the Louvre: more than 5 million

In an aim to get more people to come to Paris, July 9 is the first ever Tourism Day in Paris. Visitors will receive a commemorative bracelet and a map to find participating venues.There are also other events of note that coincide. One of them is the Paris Cinema International Film Festival, July 3-14, where over 300 films will be shown. For information about both, check out Parisinfo.com where you can find all you need to know about travel in Paris and travel deals.

Photo of the Day (12/20/06)


Still searching for the perfect stocking stuffer for your loved one? Well, if you’re in Paris for the holidays you might want to check in with this dude selling many mini Eiffel Tower. He seems to have several and no real-takers. Maybe he’s just getting started with his business day. Taken by localsurfer in Paris with some type of Lomo cam (Holga?), I’d say he did a good job capturing the guy’s boredom or lack of interest while on the job.

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Photo of the Day (2/8/2006)

I’ve seen enough pictures of the Eiffel Tower in my
lifetime, it’s really one of those rather hackneyed tourist photos that I almost seek to avoid. But I really liked the
perspective on this shot, our POTD,
shot by Planet
Adventure.
You really get a great idea of the Tower’s majesty and, um, tallness in this photo.