Chengdu’s Snow Village faces backlash for creating a fake winter wonder

There’s a new entrant in the scam hall of fame.

The Chengdu Snow Village—a newly opened destination in the suburban Chengdu, Sichuan province—advertised a picturesque snow landscape for guests to enjoy during the Lunar New Year celebrations last month. Photos of the event resembled scenes from a Christmas card, featuring thick layers of snow blanketing log cabin roofs.

However, unseasonably warm weather meant the main feature was a no-show. Rather than canceling the events, organizers got creative. White sheets were stapled to cabin roofs, white sand and large cotton wool sheets were scattered across the grounds, and soapy foam drifted through the air in a feeble attempt to create a winter wonderland. Photos posted online by disappointed visitors showed the reality: sad wisps of cotton scattered across a greenish-brown field, clinging to the branches of bushes.

China’s tourism industry is really outdoing itself with its creativity!

Welcome to ‘Snow Village’ in Chengdu- where snow is made of cotton balls, the ground is white sand, and the fake waterfalls flow… with imagination.1/2 @MM81792127@GundamNorthrop@SolomonYue pic.twitter.com/2fZr2ORrLl

— Ava Olivia (@AvaOlivia27) February 18, 2025

The fake wonderland quickly went viral for all the wrong reasons, prompting the Chengdu Culture and Tourism Bureau to launch an investigation into the project. The village later apologized and offered refunds to guests, according to Reuters.

“In order to create a ‘snowy’ atmosphere, the tourist village purchased cotton for the snow . . . but it did not achieve the expected effect, leaving a very bad impression on tourists who came to visit,” the village shared on its official WeChat account.

“Following the precedents of previous years, we typically have snow in winter. So we set up this spot for a photo shoot in advance to wait for the snow to come,” a Snow Village staff member told the state-run paper Global Times. “However, this year, the weather didn’t cooperate, and it didn’t snow.” The Chengdu Snow Village has removed all images of the attraction from its social media pages, and the venue has since closed down. 

This isn’t the first time a tourist attraction in China has been caught misleading visitors. Last year, hidden artificial pipes were discovered at the Yuntai Mountain Waterfall in Henan province, used to boost the waterfall’s flow and maintain its spectacular appearance during the dry season. Just a few weeks ago, an amusement park in Zibo City, Shandong province went viral after internet users realized that its zebras weren’t actually zebras, but donkeys painted with black and white stripes.

A+ for creativity, everyone.

https://www.fastcompany.com/91284778/chengdus-snow-village-faces-backlash-for-creating-a-fake-winter-wonder?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss
Creato 2mo | 25 feb 2025, 19:20:07


Accedi per aggiungere un commento

Altri post in questo gruppo

How tariffs could change the way Americans buy video games

In a time where tariff price hikes are invading seemingly every

21 apr 2025, 21:10:06 | Fast company - tech
The Ice Bucket Challenge is back, this time with a focus on mental health

Remember the viral “Ice Bucket Challenge” of 2014? Over a decade later, it’s back—

21 apr 2025, 21:10:04 | Fast company - tech
FTC sues Uber over misleading Uber One subscribers

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Monday sued Uber Technologies, accusing it of signing up some Uber One subscribers without their knowled

21 apr 2025, 21:10:04 | Fast company - tech
Big Tech enters earnings season bruised by Trump administration turmoil

As Big Tech kicks off its quarterly earnings season this week, the industry’s bellwether companies have been thrust into a cauldron

21 apr 2025, 18:40:11 | Fast company - tech
One of Pope Francis’ last prayer intentions urged people to ‘look less at screens’

Weeks ahead of his death, Pope Francis dedicated this month’s prayer intention to

21 apr 2025, 18:40:10 | Fast company - tech
TikTok’s beloved Dubai chocolate is breaking the pistachio supply chain

Remember when TikTok went nuts for “Dubai chocolate”? Well, that fervor is now causing an international shortage of pistachios.

The trend took off in 2023 when food reviewer Maria Vehera

21 apr 2025, 18:40:09 | Fast company - tech