Mainlanders seek a taste of Europe without leaving comfort of home

Sparked by a growing demand for an upscale experience without having to travel abroad, imitations of classic European structures are becoming more common in China.

The replicas are mostly used for commercial purposes.

There's also a growing interest among Chinese people for wine culture and etiquette, said Leng Tianji, chairman of AFIP Town, a replica European town affiliated with Chateau Changyu AFIP Global.

The town is located in Miyun county in suburban Beijing. It was modeled after a French town near the Palace of Versailles and features the first wine-themed art center in China, a luxury restaurant and guest rooms.

Wine-themed trips to the town have been on the rise ever since it was founded in 2009, and many travel agencies offer tours of the town, Leng said.

The trips offer visitors an opportunity to witness the process of making wine. Guests even have the option of opening a private wine cellar.

Wang Lei, 27, works at a multinational company in Beijing and loves to travel. Wang, who visited AFIP Town, said the scenery was fashionable, and the experience was much more affordable than traveling to France.

European towns and castles feel mystical and honorable, Wang said. But his because of the demand from his job, Wang doesn't have time to take an extended tour of Europe.

“So it was an exhilarating experience for me to go there on the weekends with friends,” Wang said. “The sights there might not match original ones, but who cares?”

Some European-style buildings in China have opened as shopping malls. One example is the Beijing Scitech Premium Outlet Mall in Chaoyang district, the first European-style shopping mall in the city.

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