If anyone was ever wondering what a post-apocalyptic Paris might look like, they don’t have to imagine it anymore. That’s thanks to a failed real estate project in China that tried to copy the French capital – down to its very own Eiffel Tower. At first glance, it looks like something from a movie set or a video game, with empty streets, huge buildings and barely any people.
Tianducheng, located about 40 minutes from Hangzhou in eastern China, was launched in 2007 with plans to house more than 10,000 residents. It features a 354-foot Eiffel Tower replica, wide Parisian-style boulevards, fountains and classical buildings. But Tianducheng struggled to attract buyers, and for years it was dubbed a “ghost city”.
According to CN Traveler, the city was supposed to be a unique and luxurious place to live, but it never really took off.
At one point, only around 2,000 people lived there. That number had reportedly grown to about 30,000 by 2017 – but many parts of the area still feel abandoned.
A recent visit by YouTube channel Yes Theory gave viewers an up-close look at what it’s like today.
French content creator Thomas Brag travelled there with his co-hosts Matt Dajer and Derin Emre to see if the stories of an abandoned Paris clone were true.
When they arrived, they found that people do live in the city, but the streets felt strangely empty.
The team described the fake Eiffel Tower as “eerie”, especially without the usual crowds seen in Paris.
“It’s weird,” said Derin, as they explored the quiet streets. “It feels like something’s missing.”
Despite the ghostly feel, they were surprised to meet friendly locals, share meals and even dance with people in the park underneath the tower.
Thomas said: “We were expecting to explore an abandoned city, but we ended up dancing with locals in front of a copy of my home country’s most famous landmark.”
The idea behind Tianducheng was part of a wider trend in China where developers recreated iconic cities around the world.
But the location of Tianducheng made it hard to sell homes, and interest faded as more Chinese people began travelling to the real Paris instead.
Today, the Eiffel Tower park is reportedly under redevelopment and is expected to become a commercial area by 2027.
