Jackson Hole, China (CNN) -- Looking for a weekend escape from the city, Annie Liu and her husband fell in love at first sight with a log home in Jackson Hole and bought it for less than $300,000. Five years on, a weekly 90-minute drive from their downtown apartment to the house has long been the norm. They enjoy gardening, barbecuing or simply relaxing in their getaway surrounded by mountains -- but often shrouded in Beijing's infamous smog. Yes, the couple's three-bedroom weekend home lies on the outskirts of the Chinese capital -- thousands of miles away from the original Jackson Hole valley in the U.S. state of Wyoming, which is known for its breathtaking natural beauty.
@highlight
A Chinese developer has built an American-themed town 90 minutes from Beijing
@highlight
The settlement is named after Jackson Hole, a scenic valley in Wyoming
@highlight
He has sold almost all the houses, with the bigger homes now fetching $1M each
@highlight
Richer, educated, urban Chinese express more positive view of aspects of America's image
"This is an '@placeholder' community so it's a necessary element here," said Liu as she walked out of the soon-to-open Jackson Hole church.