Hengdian World Studios, the film town in Dongyang, Zhejiang, where many Chinese historical dramas are shot, now offers visitors the chance to act in their own short drama. The experience costs ¥388 (about US$54) and takes around an hour.
What you get
- Costume and make-up in historical style
- A director and supporting actors on a real set
- A finished one-to-two-minute video to keep and share
At the summer peak, each director filmed 14 to 20 groups a day, so book ahead for weekends and holidays.
Why foreign visitors are coming
Foreign visitors to Hengdian rose 455% in January to May 2026 compared with a year earlier. Hit dramas such as Pursuit of Jade are popular across Southeast Asia, many visitors can now enter China visa-free, and new direct flights from Singapore to Hangzhou make the trip shorter.
Getting there
Hengdian is about two to three hours by road from Hangzhou, which has an international airport and high-speed trains to Shanghai. Many visitors combine it with a hanfu photo shoot in Hangzhou or a concert in Shanghai.
We plan drama location visits, hanfu shoots and concert trips with real-name tickets from official channels. See Pop culture & fan journeys.
