I’m a modern man. I live in the digital age, so I know how important a good profile pic is when I’m Twatting or FBing or Google Plussing or any of the other billion social networks that require a high tech password (not to mention Smart Shanghai Dating). Recently I heard about the 3D Fantastic Images House, a trompe l’oeil wonderland, where the walls are covered with highly realistic murals. I figured it would be perfect for my next status update, so last Saturday I grabbed my photogenic friend Paula and we set out to take some pictures. The staff are not photographers so it is essential to bring a buddy with you, so you can take turns holding the camera. The real “trick” here is that many of the scenes are an unintelligible mess unless you view them from one particular spot. Fortunately these spots are clearly marked on the floor with an arrow pointing you in the right direction. They’ve got almost 40 interactive murals for your snapping pleasure, but most of them can be categorized into the following genres: Chinese mythology featuring knights, wizards, and the guy you love to hate: the Monkey King. Admittedly I don’t know much about the significance in a lot of these pictures, but if you are into Chinese mythology or ancient literature then you’ll probably get a lot out of them. At any rate the pictures still look cool and you can show your Chinese friends that you were the one responsible for giving Sun Wukong his first magical peach. Western media. This includes the renaissance, which is represented by a few of the murals, but it goes on to include Napoleon and even Marilyn Monroe’s famous up-skirt shot from the film The Seven Year Itch. This one and a couple of others are the slightly cheekier offerings in this family friendly gallery. Scary monsters about to eat you. These can be real, such as the ones with sharks and giant squid, or crazy fire breathing demons and imprisoned aliens with tongues worthy of Gene Simmons. Will you run? Cower? Face them bravely? Ignore them and just give the Peace sign? There are actually sample photos at each of the stations showing you where to stand for the intended effect…provided your effect was to be as deadpan as possible while being in position for the illusion to work. Is it worth going to? Definitely. The cost on the weekend is 50rmb per person, but you will be thoroughly entertained for at least an hour, if only by your fellow visitors as they try and strike a glamor pose on the edge of a crumbling volcano. Go soon though. They’ve only been open a couple of months, and already some of the paint in some sections is wearing down or grubbing up. In the image with the exploding bank truck, there is actually fake money missing, presumably peeled off by eager (or gullible) souvenir hunters. The effects all look pretty good now, especially if you have some basic Photoshop skills or photo apps but there’s no telling what it might be like in another few months. The 3D Fantastic Images House is located at Suite 202, 2/F, 859 Sichuan Bei Lu, near Haining Lu. For a full listing with a map click here.