To promote chocolate consumption in China, a country with a dangerously low intake of this vital foodstuff, the Chinese government put together a World Chocolate Wonderland trade show & exhibition in Beijing at the Bird’s Nest Stadium (open Jan. 29, 2010), featuring a 33′ replica of the Great Wall of China, lifesize replicas of terra cotta warriors (and over 500 miniatures), and more mundane things like copies of designer handbags, shoes and clothes — which are still awesome because they are all made of Belgian chocolate while looking like real non-chocolate stuff like leather, fabric and porcelain.
I know — if it’s too pretty to eat, how does that promote consumption? Maybe they are thinking of consumption in terms of consumerism, not eating, and they are hoping to get people to buy chocolate because it looks like something else they desire, like a BMW.
