Chengdu’s Snow Village faces backlash for creating a fake winter wonder

There’s a new entrant in the scam hall of fame.

The Chengdu Snow Village—a newly opened destination in the suburban Chengdu, Sichuan province—advertised a picturesque snow landscape for guests to enjoy during the Lunar New Year celebrations last month. Photos of the event resembled scenes from a Christmas card, featuring thick layers of snow blanketing log cabin roofs.

However, unseasonably warm weather meant the main feature was a no-show. Rather than canceling the events, organizers got creative. White sheets were stapled to cabin roofs, white sand and large cotton wool sheets were scattered across the grounds, and soapy foam drifted through the air in a feeble attempt to create a winter wonderland. Photos posted online by disappointed visitors showed the reality: sad wisps of cotton scattered across a greenish-brown field, clinging to the branches of bushes.

China’s tourism industry is really outdoing itself with its creativity!

Welcome to ‘Snow Village’ in Chengdu- where snow is made of cotton balls, the ground is white sand, and the fake waterfalls flow… with imagination.1/2 @MM81792127@GundamNorthrop@SolomonYue pic.twitter.com/2fZr2ORrLl

— Ava Olivia (@AvaOlivia27) February 18, 2025

The fake wonderland quickly went viral for all the wrong reasons, prompting the Chengdu Culture and Tourism Bureau to launch an investigation into the project. The village later apologized and offered refunds to guests, according to Reuters.

“In order to create a ‘snowy’ atmosphere, the tourist village purchased cotton for the snow . . . but it did not achieve the expected effect, leaving a very bad impression on tourists who came to visit,” the village shared on its official WeChat account.

“Following the precedents of previous years, we typically have snow in winter. So we set up this spot for a photo shoot in advance to wait for the snow to come,” a Snow Village staff member told the state-run paper Global Times. “However, this year, the weather didn’t cooperate, and it didn’t snow.” The Chengdu Snow Village has removed all images of the attraction from its social media pages, and the venue has since closed down. 

This isn’t the first time a tourist attraction in China has been caught misleading visitors. Last year, hidden artificial pipes were discovered at the Yuntai Mountain Waterfall in Henan province, used to boost the waterfall’s flow and maintain its spectacular appearance during the dry season. Just a few weeks ago, an amusement park in Zibo City, Shandong province went viral after internet users realized that its zebras weren’t actually zebras, but donkeys painted with black and white stripes.

A+ for creativity, everyone.

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