Featured Image Credit: Drew Binsky / YouTube
Upon discovering a Chinese town designed to replicate the American Mountain West, one YouTuber took the lengthy trek to see really how close the similarities lie.
China is one of the largest countries in the entire world, and is at the heart of much of the Earth's technological production. As a rapidly growing economy with a population of over a billion, you're bound to have some intriguing innovations.
While megacities of 32,000,000 are just a part of the country's vast infrastructure, and the world's fastest train can take you from one end of China to the other in a fraction of time, sometimes the most appealing thing for native residents is the foreign and rural landscapes of America.
That's where the rather bizarre resort town of Jackson Hole, China - directly translated into English as 'Hometown, USA' - comes into play, as this spot located just northwest of Beijing looks like it's been ripped straight out of the American west.
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Completed in 2009 for $170,000,000, this 'replica town' takes inspiration from Jackson, Wyoming, and while not a one-to-one replica, focusing instead on the general 'rural' US idea, it's eerily similar.
No one could attest to this better than frequent Jackson visitor Drew Binsky on YouTube, who traveled all the way over to Jackson Hole and documented his experience in an illuminating video.
He points out the location's 'cowboy' aesthetic, complete with American-style houses, western Churches, and even a Tesla charging spot.
The video's comments are very much in agreement over the absurdity of the location, with one user sating that: "As someone born and raised in Jackson, WY... this is hilarious."
Another remarks: "It's kinda like how we have Chinatowns in North America," and that certainly is an intriguing comparison to make.
This is far from the only 'replica town' in China though, as other areas have been created as direct copies of iconic locations like Paris, Florence, London, and even Manhattan.
One user compares the phenomenon to Las Vegas: "Where all is made to make you think that you are a rich traveler when you actually don't leave your country."
It certainly raises the question of authenticity when it comes to locations like this, as some might think that there's no need to haul yourself halfway across the world when you could experience 'almost' the same thing in your home country.
Regardless, it must simply be really strange visiting an area specifically designed to replicate a town you know so well - if there was ever uncanny valley when it comes to locations instead of people, we're sure that Jackson Hole would rank pretty high on the list.
