Business1 min read

At 'China's Hollywood', visitors become stars as consumers spend more on experiences

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Hengdian World Studios launched a program in August that lets tourists shoot customized mini-movies on elaborate backdrops like a replica Forbidden City or vintage Shanghai streets. Packages cover full styling, professional direction, and final video editing, with prices starting between 388 and 498 yuan per person. The strong demand has kept on-site directors working from morning until dark, with one director overseeing up to 20 separate groups during a single holiday.

Key points

  • Chinese consumers are prioritizing immersive entertainment and travel experiences despite…: Chinese consumers are prioritizing immersive entertainment and travel experiences despite broader economic weakness and a real estate slump.
  • Experiential attractions like interactive filming, historical re-enactments, and role-pla…: Experiential attractions like interactive filming, historical re-enactments, and role-playing games are capturing disposable income diverted from luxury goods.
  • Production facilities can successfully diversify revenue streams by converting profession…: Production facilities can successfully diversify revenue streams by converting professional filmmaking resources into direct-to-consumer tourism offerings.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Since the experience launched in August, Hengdian World Studios said more than 2,000 people had taken part, with bookings full on most days.

HENGDIAN, China: Onlookers craned their necks outside an ornate palace chamber, peering through the doors at four women in silk robes and jade hairpins acting out a court intrigue.

One consort slapped another across the face, the director called for another take, and the cast huddled over their phones. Then they started laughing.

But the scene was not for a television drama.

The women were friends who had travelled more than 1,500km to star in their own production at Hengdian World Studios, the sprawling complex in eastern China known as "China's Hollywood" where many of the country's period dramas are filmed.

The studio has expanded into experiential tourism, allowing visitors to shoot their own scenes on sets ranging from a replica of Beijing's Forbidden City to old Shanghai streets used in professional productions.

Since the experience launched in August, Hengdian said more than 2,000 people had taken part, with bookings full on most days, particularly during weekends…

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