"Fantastic? Just a Neighborhood Hill" Tourists Outraged Over 19,000-Won "Fake Mount Fuji"

Artificial Perpetual Snow and Fake Smoke Effects
"The Real One Is Free, But..." Tourists Remain Unimpressed

Japan's iconic tourist destination, Mount Fuji, has unexpectedly appeared in Hebei Province, China. Of course, the real Mount Fuji was not relocated; instead, a small artificial hill has been created as a "counterfeit" version of Mount Fuji.

The tourist attraction "Uju Fantasy Land" located in Hebei Province, China, imitates Japan's Mount Fuji. Photo by Byron Wan

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) and other outlets on May 3, a tourist attraction called "Universe Fantasy Land" in Hebei Province, China, has drawn ridicule for painting the top of a small hill white in an attempt to imitate Japan's symbol, Mount Fuji. The attraction charges an entrance fee of 98 yuan (approximately 19,000 won) to see this fake Mount Fuji.

The hill's appearance, with its summit painted white, may at first glance resemble Mount Fuji covered in perpetual snow. However, the reactions of tourists who have visited the site have been cold. One visitor dismissed it, saying, "It's just a small hilltop painted white, and it has nothing to do with Mount Fuji." Another visitor complained, "You don't have to pay to take pictures at the real Mount Fuji, but here you have to pay to take photos of a fake one."

This tourist attraction has been open to the public since September last year. The operators covered the entire hill with green grass and painted the summit pure white to imitate the snow-capped peak of Japan's Mount Fuji. However, the controversy does not end there.

The attraction promotes the simple hill as a "volcano" and reportedly stages a "fake volcano eruption show" every weekend, releasing artificial pink smoke. Such exaggerated performances have only drawn further criticism from tourists. Some social media users have scoffed, saying, "They advertised it as a fantastic place, but when you actually visit, it's just like a neighborhood hill."

This is not the first time Hebei Province has introduced such "counterfeit" attractions. The region has already gained attention several times for replicas of world-famous landmarks. In the past, it has copied Paris's Eiffel Tower, the Sphinx of Giza, and even China's own Great Wall.