Hengdian: 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 1,500 km 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 and holidays.
“During the National Day holiday, I shoot from morning until dark, and there are still guests we can’t fit in,” said Wang Weili, a director who once filmed 20 groups in a single day.
The attraction reflects a broader shift in Chinese consumer spending.
While a slowing economy and prolonged property slump have weighed on purchases of everything from luxury goods to home furnishings, consumers have continued to spend on travel, entertainment and experiences, fuelling demand for immersive attractions such as live-action role-playing games, historical re-enactments and interactive film shoots.
