A 108-meter-tall replica of the Eiffel Tower stands at the center of Tianducheng, a neighborhood near Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, China. The area features Haussmann-style buildings, French-style fountains, and wide avenues similar to those of the Champs-Élysées in Paris. The project began in the mid-2000s, with construction starting around 2007. Developers aimed to create a European-style living environment with neoclassical buildings, baroque-style fountains, and French-style streets. Initially, they planned for 10,000 residents to live there. However, the reality was quite different from the original plans. By 2013, the neighborhood had only about 2,000 residents, far fewer than expected, leading to its reputation as a "ghost city." Photographers from around the world flocked to the area to capture images of the empty streets beneath the towering replica of the Eiffel Tower. These photos, taken by Reuters photographer Aly Song, showed closed shops, empty sidewalks, and a sense of silence that made the neighborhood a symbol of China's real estate overreach. Despite its remote location, far from major transport routes, the area found an unexpected use. Chinese couples began coming in large numbers to take wedding photos in front of the fake Eiffel Tower, as if they were in Paris. The neighborhood transformed into an open-air studio, more for photography and tourism than for living. This trend continues today, driven by the popularity of such images on Chinese social media platforms. From the mid-2010s onward, the neighborhood's population grew significantly. By 2017, it had reached about 30,000 residents, contradicting earlier perceptions of a frozen, abandoned place. A journalist from the Globe and Mail, returning to the area years after his initial report, noted a more lively atmosphere, with elderly couples walking hand in hand and young parents pushing strollers. The neighborhood is now mostly inhabited by middle-class residents, far from the initial vision of a wealthy elite enclave. Tianducheng is not unique in China, where several Western-style replicas exist, such as the English village of Thames Town and the reconstructed Austrian village of Hallstatt. This trend reflects a mix of international prestige and real estate strategy. Today, the park beneath the Eiffel Tower replica is being transformed into a commercial zone, with construction expected to finish in 2027. This shows that Tianducheng continues to evolve, far from the image of a frozen urban ruin that once made it famous.