With winding canals, gondoliers in traditional Venetian dress and grand buildings lining the water, it could almost be the real Venice in north-east Italy.

Except this replica is thousands of miles away in Dalian, north-east China, where the sprawling site cost 5 billion yuan (£507 million) to build.

The ambitious project was designed to recreate the magic of the Italian city, complete with European-style buildings and reproductions of Renaissance paintings. It opened to visitors in May 2015.

Chinese architects behind the project travelled to Venice for inspiration, taking cues from some of the city’s most recognisable buildings.

Visitors can even take a gondola ride along the man-made canals, just as they would in the real Venice.

But there is one major difference: this replica appears a world away from Venice’s bustling streets, with videos showing eerily empty avenues and seemingly derelict buildings.

A TikTok video, posted by @wearenico, described the town as a 'must-visit destination', but the footage showed only a few people in the background. 

The tourist noted how there were 'grand avenues, regal buildings, a network of interlinked canals with gondolas aplenty'. 

One keen traveller, who shares videos on the YouTube channel Chopsticks and Trains, visited the unusual town in 2024.

He described it as 'dead' and 'desolate', adding: 'I've seen a few people, granted it is really cold today with the wind.'

During the winter, it seems the canal is drained, leaving an empty concrete network through the town. 

The YouTuber peeked through the window of a building to reveal half-finished construction work inside, and another building was completely empty. 

'A lot of these buildings are apparently just sitting here, it's just like a shell, there's a lot on the outside but there is nothing going on the inside,' he said. 'It's pretty surreal to be honest.'

Despite boasting grand structures and clean pathways, the traveller noted: 'It looks essentially like a ghost village.' 

Construction began in 2011 and it took four years to complete. There are more than 200 European-style buildings and 2.5 miles of canal.

Chinese media previously reported that the canal – 50ft wide and 4ft deep – can hold as much water as Venice’s Grand Canal.

According to local developers, the canal system was favoured as a way of cutting down on the increasing amount of traffic and rising car ownership that was affecting air quality in the city. 

China has attempted to clone Italian spots before, as with the Venetian Macao that opened in 2007.

The luxury hotel and casino resort is partially inspired by the Italian city.

An artificial Grand Canal runs through the middle of the shopping area at the resort.