Fake Wonders of the World
Replica tourism is quickly on the rise.
by Rob Baedeker, August 15, 2011
If you build a replica of it, will they come?
The answer, as it turns out, is yes. Copies of architectural marvels and iconic tourist attractions are proving to have real appeal. The latest example is a new, life-size re-creation of Stonehenge nearing completion in Western Australia. According to Clonehenge, a blog about Stonehenge replicas, Esperance Stonehenge is the 67th “large permanent replica” worldwide.
Other beloved pseudo-masterpieces include Las Vegas’s ersatz Eiffel Tower and the miniature Great Wall of China at South Korea’s popular theme park Jeju Mini Mini Land. But the latest ones to open have grand ambitions and are fast attracting cult fans.
Here are three new faux-cales to check out.
Titanic Imitations
Pigeon Forge, Tenn., and Branson, Mo., are both home to 30,000-square-foot replicas of the ship. Tourism is expected to rise before next April’s 100th anniversary of the Titanic sinking.
Taj Mahal, Bangladesh
The Bangladeshi fi lmmaker Ahsanullah Moni constructed an exact copy of the Taj Mahal for people who can’t afford to travel to the original. It took five years to build and, after opening in 2008, doubles as a movie set.
Esperance Stonehenge
The site recently opened to the public, and an inaugural party is scheduled for later this year. The central trilithons have already been erected, and the outer stones are being set in place.
Source: The Daily Beast-Newsweek
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