Developer unveils Austrian hamlet in China

The original is a centuries-old village of 800 people and a UNESCO heritage site that survives on tourism. The copycat is a housing estate that thrives on Chinas new rich. In a country famous for pirated products,the replica village sets a new standard.

The Chinese Hallstatt features a church spire,a town square ringed by pastel-colored buildings and angel statues. They are among architectural flourishes inspired by the original.

Members of the Hallstatt delegation said they were proud to be copied but also disappointed with the way it was done.

They should have asked the owners of the hotel and other buildings if they agreed with the idea of rebuilding Hallstatt in China,and they did not, hotel owner Monika Wenger said,ahead of the opening ceremony. And that was a big problem we had with this project here.

People in Hallstatt first learned a year ago of Minmetals plan when a Chinese guest at Wengers hotel who was involved with the project inadvertently spilled the beans. Minmetals staff had been taking photos and gathering data while mingling with tourists,raising suspicions among villagers.

Minmetals Land is the real estate development arm of China Minmetals Corp.,Chinas largest metals trader.

Mayor Alexander Scheutz,who signed a cultural exchange agreement on Saturday with the new Hallstatt,was more diplomatic,saying we are very proud.

While construction was continuing at the Chinese project,located in Guangdong provinces Huizhou city,about 60 km northeast of Hong Kong,the site was already open to visitors.

Some were however skeptical if the copycat version would ever match the beauty of the original,a scenic jewel with hill-hugging chalets,elegant church spires and ancient inns all reflected in the deep still waters of an Alpine lake,about 300 km west of Vienna.