China's Tianducheng is unlike any other residential development in the world. Built for more than US$1 billion on the outskirts of Hangzhou, the neighbourhood recreates the look and feel of Paris with its own Eiffel Tower, French-style boulevards and elegant European architecture. Over the years, viral videos and social media posts have repeatedly portrayed it as an abandoned "ghost city", leading millions of people to believe the ambitious project had failed. However, that perception is no longer accurate. Today, Tianducheng is a thriving residential community where families, cafés, parks and busy public spaces have replaced the emptiness that once defined its reputation, showing how the internet's version of a place can lag far behind reality.
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