Lithuania is a very small country, with a land area of only 65,300 square kilometers, but in this "small country", there is an even smaller country, that is, the "Republic on the other side".

How did Lithuania come to be that there is an even smaller "pocket state" on the other side of the strait?

The Republic of the Other, a state within a state in the capital of Lithuania, is more of a "performance art" directed by a group of artists, vagabonds, and drunkards than a country. However, although it looks like a "two", it provides a new idea for the transformation of old cities around the world.

1. A country that no one recognizes.

As early as April Fool's Day in 1997, in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, a group of ordinary people living in the old city openly announced to the world that the old city was going to become independent! The Republic on the other side of the river was formally established.

As soon as these words came out, they almost laughed at the aunts around who sold breakfast. How big is the old city? It's less than 0.6 square kilometers, which is not even the size of a Forbidden City. It has 15 streets and a permanent population of 7,000 people.

The Lithuanian government is also embarrassed, preferring to treat this incident as a joke among the people, and have never taken it seriously.

The Republic on the other side of the river refers to the other side of the river, the city around which the Vilnya River surrounds. So far, no country has recognized the legitimacy of the Republic on the other side, and it is more like a gathering place for literary and artistic youths where art and humanities meet.

Second, the Republic on the other side of the strait itself is more serious.

In order to make their territory look like a country, the people of the republic on the other side of the river promulgated their own constitution, designed their own flag, issued their own currency, and even elected their own president.

Good guys, this whole system is what a whole country should have, and in addition to that, in order to ensure the security of the country, they even formed an army!

However, it is a pity that this army only has 12 people, and it is estimated that the neighbor's cat has been lost, and it is difficult for them to find it. And after Lithuania joined NATO, the 12-man army was also disbanded.

The locals would think that the Vatican, which is smaller than them, could be recognized by the world, so why can't they? So they're really serious about building the country.

3. A place where culture and art blend.

It is not so much a country as it is a gimmick to develop its own economy. When an old town becomes a country, the tourist value of the city is immeasurable.

I have to say that the people of the Republic on the other side of the strait are quite knowledgeable about marketing and hype. Since the founding of the country, it has become a gathering place for literary and artistic youth and a check-in place for Internet celebrities.

Countless artists and young artists have come here, some have opened galleries, some have opened studios, cafes and so on. Although it is not named a five-star tourist attraction, it is more attractive than this name.

Fourth, the country is not big, and the rules are not small.

Plato once said that the utopian ideal must be full of freedom and equality, full of laughter and thinking, and everyone only needs to be themselves.

Clearly, the Republic on the other side of the river also wants to create a utopian ideal state. However, there are strict requirements for visitors to the Republic of Korea.

For example, when entering the country, tourists must have a smile on their faces, referencing the smile of the Mona Lisa. If you drive here, you must not exceed 20 miles, after all, they are all streets, and there is no chance to drive fast.

In addition, they have promulgated a ridiculous constitution. Almost every one of the 41 constitutions seems absurd. For example, "everyone has the right to be happy" and "everyone has the right to be unhappy", what kind of trouble is this?

Cat lovers probably like their constitution very much, because there are also regulations in the constitution: everyone has the right to love cats, cats do not need to be forced to love their owners, etc.

When you get here, you can pick up a copy of the local constitution, which is now available in traditional Chinese. It is hoped that the Republic on the other side of the strait will wake up as soon as possible and publish the simplified Chinese version of the constitution as soon as possible.

5. The currency is approximately equal to the commemorative coin.

It is clear that the Republic on the other side has succeeded in doing this. In addition to the constitution, the Republic of the Other Side has issued its own currency. So can these currencies circulate in the Republic on the other side? Sorry, I really don't believe it.

Because there are too many tourists coming and going from the south to the north, there is no way to let people exchange the real gold and silver in their hands for your "commemorative coins" without establishing a perfect foreign exchange conversion system.

Therefore, most of the people who come here pay for food and accommodation in euros. It is worth noting that there are basically no places to stay in the Republic on the other side, and if you want to stay, you have to leave the country to Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.

Summary: Take yourself seriously, so that others can take you seriously.

A lot of people think that the Republic on the other side of the river is a farce, but if you think about why the locals are making such a farce, you will find it interesting.

How do you create resources without any resources? This is the real secret of the Republic on the other side. In the past they were just an ordinary old town in Vilnius, with nothing to do.

Lithuania can allow such a place to exist, it is estimated that there are other ideas, after all, this is a special tourist place, there are more people and artists, there can be a good publicity to the outside world, and it is also a promotion to the overall tourism of Lithuania. It is estimated that in the short term, the Chinese people will not be interested, after all, it is in Lithuania, and the recent Lithuania allowed the Bay Island to set up a representative office, which seriously damaged our interests.

If Lithuania's attitude softens and relations between the two countries normalize, I believe that some friends will be interested in traveling to the "Republic on the other side."