A Journey To The World’s First Cloned Village

Cynthia McKanzie – MessageToEagle.com – We have all heard of cloning before, a controversial subject that not all approve of, but what do we think about cloning of a house, entire buildings or even whole villages?

For the first time, a cloned village has opened to the public, and there are those who feel proud of this achievement and those who think this is a very bad idea.

China has successfully accomplished what no country would even dream of achieving – cloning an entire village!

The village China copied is the original Hallstatt village, a UNESCO protected heritage gem in Austria.

The entire $940 million project is now completed and the village is open to the public.

When Hallstatt’s Mayor Alexander Scheutz first learned about the project he expressed concern that the Chinese would copy everything – even a holy house.

Many Hallstatt villagers were outrageous and surprised when they learned the Chinese attempted to copy their unique, centuries-old home.

Despite the initial mixed response, local authorities in Hallstatt have since softened their stance, seeing a rare, marketing opportunity at the heart of one of the world’s fastest growing tourism markets.

“It was not so controversial. We were only surprised that a small village in Austria was built, and now we are very proud that it happened,” said Hallstatts Mayor Alexander Scheutz, who flew with an Austrian delegation to mark the official opening and signed documents promising future cultural ties.

Director of Tourism Hallstatt, Pamela Binder, said Hallstatt had made peace with its Chinese replica.

“First we were a bit insecure. Why did it come to replicate Hallstatt, and then we became lucky and proud,” Binder said.

But some Hallstadt residents remained unconvinced.

“I don’t think that it is a good idea. Hallstatt is just unique with its culture and traditions. You cannot copy that. I saw a report and the photos, and the copy seems different. In my opinion it is unacceptable,” said resident Karin Höll.

Whether it is right or wrong to clone villages will undoubtedly be debated for a long time…

Written by Cynthia McKanzie – MessageToEagle.com Staff Writer

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