MKsports Southwest China's Sichuan Province, uses cotton to simulate snow. Photo: Screenshot from the Jimu News" src="https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2025/2025-02-14/a8cfb679-7706-49d8-b67d-c062b511bced.jpeg" />

A scenic area in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, uses cotton to simulate snow. Photo: Screenshot from the Jimu News

A scenic area in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, attempted to create a winter wonderland by using cotton and soap water to simulate snowfall, but backfired and triggered dissatisfaction among tourists. Currently, the scenic area has been urged to close for rectification, and the local market regulatory authorities are investigating the suspected false advertising practices.

According to the promotional photos of the relevant scenic area, the snow town features forests, heavy snow, and small wooden cabins, fulfilling tourists' longing for snow landscape. The advertisement even claimed that Chengdu's snow town was a more cost-effective alternative to the famous Snow Town in Northeast China, according to Sichuan-based Fengmian News.

However, visitors to the snow town in Qionglai quickly took to social media to express their disappointment. The videos show that in the snow town, there were "snowflakes" on the ground, rooftops, and trees. However, upon closer inspection, it turned out to be cotton. The poster humorously commented in the video, "they dare to call this cotton snow?"

A travel blogger also shared his experience, calling the visit a scam. The videos posted suggest that the promotional photos for this "snow town" appear to have stolen images from the Snow Town scenic spot in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, creating an atmosphere of heavy snowfall. The site not only lacked real snow but instead resembled an artificial landscape, with the snowfall produced using "soapy water," the blogger said.

The involved scenic area has issued an apology letter on February 8 regarding this matter, stating that due to the warm weather during the 2025 Spring Festival, the scenic area was unable to present the snow town scene. In order to offer a snowy atmosphere, the area purchased snow cotton online and started business on the first day of the Spring Festival holidays.

However, the attempt failed to obtain the desired result, leaving a poor impression on visitors, the letter admitted. After receiving feedback from tourists, the area began to remove all the snow cotton from the second day of the Spring Festival holidays. The letter also mentioned that the tourist area would process refunds for visitors.

The tourist area later announced that it would close for upgrades starting February 9, without setting a reopening date, according to Jimu News.

On Wednesday, the Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Culture, Broadcast-TV, and Tourism confirmed that the site had been shut down for rectification, and local regulators have launched an investigation into suspected false advertising, according to CNR.

Global Times-Jimu News