A town in China that posted pretty pictures of snow-covered buildings to attract tourists for Lunar New Year celebrations has apologized after the picturesque scene turned out to cotton and soapy water. A spokesperson for the “snow town” project in Qionglai, which is in the southwest Sichuan province, said the town decided to buy cotton after unexpectedly warm weather in January. Unfortunately, “it did not achieve the expected effect,” the project said in a statement posted on its WeChat account. Promotional photos posted on social media showed scenic areas with snow-laden trees, small wooden cabins and snowflakes on the ground. Tourists lured to the town complained on WeChat that the cute cabins were in fact covered with large sheets of cotton, and that some of the images were stolen from other scenic spots in the north of China. One photo, shared widely on WeChat, shows a tourist grabbing a clump of cotton from the ground. “Scenic spots must avoid deception or false advertising, otherwise they will only shoot themselves in the foot,” wrote one visitor.
