Situated in the Wuqing district in north China's Tianjin, the Florence village is a perfect replica of the historical Italian town. [China.org.cn/Photo by Dong Nianlong]

Fancy an exhilarating Italian shopping experience? Then a visit to what is considered the "Florence of China" is a must.

Situated in the Wuqing district in north China's Tianjin, Florence Village is a perfect replica of the historical Italian town. With an investment of 2 billion yuan, the village is China's first Italian-style outlet, integrating shopping, leisure, entertainment and cuisine.

The village features renaissance architecture and luxury shopping. Over 200 international luxury brands can be purchased in the plaza, satisfying the most discerning of shoppers. For this year's Golden Week national holiday, the outlet received 222,500 visitors, a 55.2 percent increase compared with last year. As China continues to emerge as the largest consumer body of luxury goods, this figure has potential to continue along its upward trajectory.

Florence Village sits half-way between Tianjin and Beijing, and only takes 22 minutes to arrive at when traveling by high-speed railway from the capital. What helps make this destination even more exciting is that travelers don't have to make the long trip to Europe to experience a slice of Italy.