Located on a small island, in the middle of Wanfeng Lake in southwestern China’s Guizhou Province, is one of the most stunning fairytale castles on Earth. Only it’s not actually a castle, but a four-star resort.
Built in 2011, the Jilong Castle Country Club, aka Jilongbao Resort, is one of the most impressive, yet unusual sights in all of China. On one hand, the location, the attention to detail and bridge linking it to the mainland are breathtaking, but on the other, it looks like something you would expect to find in a European country like Germany or France, where medieval castles actually still exist. Although China’s fascination with castles, and European architecture in general is well-known, it’s still a bit of an unusual tourist attraction.
Not much is known about the Jilong Castle Country Club, apart from the fact that its is a four-star hotel. Back in 2018, Chinese news outlet Global Times reported that one night at the fairytale castle cost only 262 yuan ($40).
The beautiful resort was reportedly built by a local hydroelectric power magnate, and actually has its own hydroelectric plant which produces all the electricity used on the premises.
According to Ctrip, the unique resort on Wanfeng Lake is often referred to as the Chinese version of Neuschwanstein castle, the fairytale castle that inspired Cinderella’s Castle at Disney World.