Pictures taken in Dalian, Liaoning province, featuring a canal, gondolas and European-style buildings created a stir on the Internet on Monday, with viewers attracted by the prospect of experiencing the "Oriental City of Canals".

But they will have to wait.

The seawater was introduced into the canal for a test and the two gondolas were put into the water for a photography competition, said Sun Yan, manager of the Dongfang Shuicheng project.

"They'll start operation after May 2015," said Sun.

The French-designed project aims to build an oriental city based on Venice. Sun said classical European architecture elements, such as French chateaus and Italianate villas, have been combined in the project.

"I've noticed some netizens' sarcasm. But this is not merely a replica," said Sun.

"All the buildings were designed according to the natural environment and the habits of Chinese people," he said.

The project is built on land reclaimed from the sea and covers 403,600 square meters at the East Harbor Commercial Area. The project will provide homes and jobs for more than 100,000 people on completion.

It is planned to have a supporting complex of commerce, catering, recreation and relevant services.

The 4-kilometer canal is divided into three parts by two highways to the coast. It is 15 meters wide and 1.2 meters deep. The water is recycled every 15 days, said Sun.

"It is really great, although we could not enjoy the gondola," said Jiang Liying, a student at Dalian Art College who visited with two friends. "Just using our cellphones, we can take very beautiful pictures but the buildings are much more beautiful than the pictures. It seems like we're traveling abroad," she said.

In recent years, many landmark buildings have been recreated in China. A school at Shijiazhuang, in Hebei province, resembles the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from the Harry Potter movies.

But Sun Yan said they are not following a trend.

"When Dalian was first being built as a modern city in 1899, it was built as an oriental Paris. There are still many examples of European-style architecture in the city," he said.

Contact the writer at zhangxiaomin@chinadaily.com.cn

Visitors on board a gondola enjoy the scenery at a construction project called Oriental City of Canals featuring European style architecture in Dalian, Liaoning province, on Sunday. Pictures of the development have caused a stir on the Internet.? Wang Hua / Xinhua