Hengdian’s “Visa on Arrival” program has become popular, with young people playing villains and aunts playing empresses

▲ Hengdian World Studios during National Day this year. Picture / Visual China

Zhang Jinquan joined Hengdian Film and Television City in 2011 Micro film team. In the past, the team mainly received group tourists. The price of a micro-film ranged from a few thousand to tens of thousands of yuan. The tourists put on ancient costumes, acted out the plot, and finally took away a finished film.

In August this year, they officially launched Individual guest skit experienceproject. Different from serving group tourists in the past and customizing the entire micro-movie, the individual tourist project breaks down a scene into classic clips that can be purchased directly. Tourists can choose their own characters and scenes, and they can shoot them on site.

As soon as the project was launched, the calls never stopped. Throughout August, the team received more than 2,000 people; during the Mid-Autumn Festival in September, there were so many people signing up that there was no queue. Zhang Jinquan has clearly felt that more people are rushing to Hengdian.

On the ticket booking platform, the Hengdian short play experience starts at 218 yuan, including director, photography and NPC play, but does not include makeup; if you want to package it with makeup and clothing, the price is 388 yuan. Both packages do not include scenic spot tickets. Visitors need to purchase a separate scenic spot pass, or choose the 499 yuan “single park ticket + short drama shooting experience” combination package. From October 1st to 5th, this combination ticket increased to 549 yuan, which is 50 yuan more expensive than usual.

▲ The official live ticket sales room of Hengdian World Studios. Picture/TikTok screenshot

30 year old blogger@ 高搞搞I came across this project recently on social platforms. She works in Shanghai and originally wanted to ask her best friend to go with her, but everyone has to work and can’t get together in time. Finally, she took her mother and drove three and a half hours from Shanghai to Hengdian.

Starring in a short drama in Hengdian was much easier than she imagined.

After making an appointment, the staff will send you a Word document that lists many classic clips that can be shot directly.

In “The Legend of Zhen Huan”, noble Qi reports on Concubine Xi’s affair; in “Huan Zhu Ge Ge”, Grandma Rong gets an acupuncture; there is also the domineering wife’s “I’ll give you 50 million taels, leave my son”; in the tearing of white lotus green tea, “What’s wrong with my sister, it’s all my sister’s problem”…

Among the famous scenes, Gao Gaogang chose the scene where Grandma Rong gets an acupuncture. She played Ziwei and her mother played Grandma Rong.

Makeup is assembly line. Makeup artists don’t just look at the shape of the face and think about it slowly, they just apply it as soon as they arrive. Gao Gao Na has yellow hair, and it is easy to get into trouble when acting in costumes, so he bought a wig in advance and brought it with him. The makeup artist is also very professional, and he was able to fit Gao Gao in just a few seconds, but the prerequisite is that the tourists themselves must request it.

▲ Gao Gaogang specially prepared a wig. Picture / Provided by Narrator

Because the atrium is quite long, she usually doesn’t put on eye shadow. The makeup artist adds eye shadow without much thought. He also waits for her to speak before he changes her makeup. Otherwise, he can only follow the standard procedure. The clothes are basically uniform ancient costumes, and there is not much room for you to choose slowly.

When the filming started, one person was responsible for directing and filming at the same time. He didn’t even hold the script in his hand, and all the lines were already memorized in his mind. There is an assistant next to him who is responsible for lighting.

Visitors don’t need to memorize their lines in advance. The director says something, and the tourists follow suit; the director tells you where to go, and you go there; where to look, how to raise your hands, and when to turn around, all are directed by someone on site. The whole process is more like a large-scale real-person interactive game. One scene can be shot in about half an hour.

▲ When the director says something off-camera, the tourists follow suit. Picture / Provided by Narrator

This set of efficiency is difficult to imagine in a real crew, but it is a matter of course in Hengdian. The scenes, costumes, lighting, NPCs and directors here have already been organized into a mature film and television production system. Now, it’s just that the tourists who were originally standing outside the camera are also included.

As a result, a strange busyness appeared in Hengdian.

Various scenes including the Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Along the River During the Qingming Festival, Guangzhou Street, the palace, the market, and the Republic of China are all available. So many scenes are running at the same time, and the people inside are constantly flowing with them. If tourists go to the wrong set, they have to be rescheduled; if an NPC is filming elsewhere, they have to wait for him to be free; if a character is temporarily missing, the staff has to go next door to “borrow someone”.

There was a queen missing in Gao Gaogang’s scene, so the staff went around and finally called a maid from next door. The person has arrived, but she hasn’t had time to change her clothes – the queen, who should be wearing luxurious makeup, is still dressed like a maid.

But it doesn’t matter, the show has to be filmed. The director’s camera focuses more on Gao Gaogao and her mother. The temporary guest NPC only needs to show his face a few times and say one or two lines, and has almost no impact.

During the shooting break, Gao Gaogna passed by several rooms next door. Someone looked like Chu Yuxun, a young boy was playing the role of the emperor, and their group was filming Ziwei and Grandma Rong. In the same huge studio, several groups of people acted out famous scenes from different TV series at the same time.

▲ In the same huge studio, several groups of people acted out famous scenes from different TV series at the same time. Picture / Provided by Narrator

She suddenly felt like she had entered Disneyland. Hengdian was even more hardcore than Disneyland.

Those magnificent palaces, streets and courtyards are not illusory scenes made by special effects. Tourists really have to walk from one palace to another, and from one park to another. After shooting on one set, you have to rush to the next set. After shooting in one day, it is more tiring than Disney.

Disney for middle-aged and elderly people

There are many places for young people to find their own “Disney”: theme parks, concerts, music festivals, and even a quick trip. But for many middle-aged and elderly people, there are not many places like Hengdian where they can realize their dream of acting and be taken seriously and seen.

Gao Nagan’s mother is 56 years old and worked as an accountant before retiring. Before going to Hengdian, she seemed to have little interest in filming the short play and listened to her daughter’s arrangements throughout the process. Gao Naganong said that her mother was like his “pendant” along the way. But as soon as the camera turned on, my mother got into the mood much faster than she did.

Gao Gaogao played Ziwei. She felt that this role was too cowardly and completely opposite to her own personality. She couldn’t help laughing when she stood in front of the camera and laughed for ten minutes. My mother played the role of Grandma Rong. When it was her turn to get the acupuncture, her eyes suddenly became sharp. Gao Gaogan looked on and thought, “It’s too much, it must be embarrassing.” However, when it was cut into the film, the scale was just right.

Such “moms” are not uncommon in Hengdian. Zhang Jinquan said that about one-third of the tourists who come to film short plays now are middle-aged and elderly people, especially women. They often appear in groups, as sisters, best friends, old colleagues, or with their children. If one person finds it interesting, he will make a few more friends when he goes back; if someone brings his mother, he may bring his old sisters with him next time. A shoot quickly turned into a group activity for a group of acquaintances.

▲ About one-third of the tourists who come to Hengdian to film short plays are middle-aged and elderly people. Picture / Provided by Narrator

Their requirements for plot are often not as high as those of young people. Zhang Jinquan found that what aunts care about most is makeup, and “beautiful” is enough. What I often say is “Director, I can’t act, don’t give me too many lines, I’m nervous.”

This is also where Hengdian is different from ordinary travel. Traveling usually involves seeing scenery and people, but when filming a short play, the camera is turned back – this time, the scenery is the background, and you are the one being watched.

After the filming was completed, Gao Nagan’s mother seemed to have a mild reaction to the finished film, and did not show much excitement on her lips. But after a few days, Gao Gaogang discovered that her mother was always reading comments from netizens. Some people praised her for her acting skills, others said she looked like a certain star, so she just sat there by herself, flipping through the books one by one, reading them again and again.

The daughter saw this scene in her eyes and slowly realized that her mother didn’t care. She still remembers that her mother was reluctant to post the one-minute-long video on WeChat Moments because she felt shy, but she supported Gao Gaogang to post the video online as part of a vlog. It seems to me that the parents of the previous generation were not used to having themselves as the protagonist in front of acquaintances, but if the protagonist is a daughter, and the mother appears as the “protagonist’s mother”, she will be much more comfortable.

This group of middle-aged and older women want to be seen, but are not used to actively standing in the spotlight. When I was young, I was busy taking care of my family and working, and I had no opportunity or consciousness to express “what I want.” When they retire and life becomes more relaxed, the desire to be “seen” emerges, but they may not admit it themselves. He said “I don’t feel anything”, but his fingers brushed those complimentary comments over and over again. That is a recognition they rarely receive and do not need to be exchanged for “mother” status.

Bai Bai’s grandmother used to be a waiter, but after retirement she had more opportunities to travel. In May last year, she went to Hengdian with a tour group. A group of thirty or forty people, with an average age of over 60 or 70 years old, costs 150 yuan per person for filming, and has one-stop services including script, makeup, recording, and editing. The director arranged a Qing palace drama for everyone, with grandma playing the role of a concubine.

She usually likes to watch criminal investigation dramas and Qing Dynasty palace dramas, and she has always wanted to act in something to satisfy her drama addiction, but she has never had the chance before. After returning from that shoot, she and her family talked about it all night. Later, when the finished film came out, Bai Bai thought it was interesting and posted it on the Internet. Unexpectedly, it became quite popular.

▲ Bai Bai’s grandmother participated in the filming of the Qing Dynasty drama. Picture / Provided by Narrator

Grandma liked that film very much. Although netizens in the comment area felt that everything from the makeup to the lines and the script was too plain, “It didn’t feel like filming a TV series, it felt like filming a documentary”, Bai Bai still felt that “Grandma was the most beautiful because of her confidence.”

Grandma is old and can’t remember many lines and details during filming, but she always remembers that it rained that day. The friends in the tour group crowded into the landscaping platform to play together, talking and laughing. Later, her family occasionally teased her and asked her to act again, and she was able to do it in a decent manner. Bai Bai found that after this experience, grandma was more willing to travel with friends and was more willing to talk about her interests.

Of course, when young people walk into Hengdian, they are looking for another kind of happiness.

They are not satisfied with “taking a beautiful shot”. Zhang Jinquan discovered that after the team launched the script of “Hand-Teared White Lotus Green Tea”, they originally planned to let NPC play the role of the bad guy, but when they arrived at the scene, they became the most popular characters. One of the two sisters is bad and the other is good. As soon as the young people heard about it, they started to compete: “I want to play the bad one.”

The team didn’t expect it at first. They had prepared a batch of scripts for “The Legend of Zhen Huan”, thinking that everyone would rush to play Zhen Huan. In the end, the one that got the most votes was the scene involving Qi Guiren, “The concubine wants to report the affair with Concubine Xi.”

Complaining, fighting for favor, falling out, turning around, the more aggressive it is, the more people want to act. Zhang Jinquan slowly got a taste of the tourists: When people come here, they don’t necessarily want to be the most likable person, but they want to try something they usually don’t dare to do.

▲ Young people like to shoot plots with a stronger sense of conflict. Picture / Provided by Narrator

As a result, the script began to lean towards “bad”, “cruel” and “crazy”. The conflicts between the characters are stronger, the dialogues are more aggressive, and there is more room for visitors to play.

This is consistent with the logic of “assembly line” photography, but it goes one step further. When taking photos, you only need to be beautiful and become a princess in the eyes of others. When shooting short dramas, you need to become the person you want to play. What is recorded by the camera is no longer just a person’s appearance.

Expressions, movements, tone, even an exaggerated turn and a vicious look have all become evidence of “I have acted.” After posting it on social platforms, friends not only discussed whether the makeup was beautiful or not, but also said, “Why did you act so hard?” and “This line is so touching.”

From short drama protagonist back to reality

The popularity of filming short dramas for tourists quickly spread from Hengdian Film and Television City to the whole country. On social platforms, many people began to ask: Do they have such an experience in their own city? Some people want to act on their own, some want to bring their parents with them, and some have already started looking for a crew that can “take on this kind of work.”

A netizen from Hebei IP posted that he wanted to take his parents and sister to experience filming a short drama, and asked if there were any similar projects in the local area. Under the post, someone quickly answered the call and even directly left their contact information: You don’t have to go all the way to Hengdian, you can shoot locally.

A film and television company in Hebei told Daily People that they used to shoot short dramas for commercial orders, and are currently transitioning into the business of customizing short dramas for amateurs. The team has a complete set of film and television processes that can customize scripts and shooting for customers. What to film and how to film depends on the customer’s budget and requirements. But so far, they haven’t really put it into practice.

At the hottest time in 2025, Hengdian will have forty or fifty crews starting production at the same time a day, and there will be new productions starting throughout the year. Vertical screen mini dramaThe number of crews reached 4,016, a year-on-year increase of 237%. After the Spring Festival in 2026, the excitement quickly subsided. As of the end of May, Hengdian Film and Television City had hosted only 1,499 short drama crews, a year-on-year decrease of at least 50%.

▲ The short drama crew at Hengdian Film and Television City. Picture / Visual China

The crew left and the set was empty, but the people were still there. Zhang Jinquan feels all this more deeply than others.

When he first entered the industry more than ten years ago, he had a movie dream in mind. At that time, he carried a camera and worked with the crew, learning to shoot and direct, thinking that one day he would be able to produce his own work. Later, he joined the Hengdian micro-film team, and the people in front of the camera changed from professional actors to ordinary tourists.

In the past few years, Zhang Jinquan has almost watched Hengdian change protagonists one after another. From the golden age of traditional long-form dramas to the explosion of short dramas, the impact of AI, and the rise of micro-movie experiences…some of the staff in the team were originally dedicated to filming short drama crews. After the short drama market cooled down, they turned to make short dramas customized for tourists.

In fact, shooting a short play for 388 yuan, including costumes, makeup, directing, photography and post-production, is almost not much money. Zhang Jinquan also bluntly said that it is difficult to expect to make big money from this project alone.

Tourists come here to film a scene, stay in a hotel, eat, buy tickets, and maybe visit a few scenic spots. The short play experience is more like a lead, bringing people into Hengdian, and then bringing consumption to larger businesses such as accommodation, catering, and scenic spots.

▲ Zhang Jinquan and his team. Picture / Provided by Narrator

Before Gao Gaogang came to Hengdian for the first time, he actually didn’t have much expectations for the short drama experience. She even found a step for herself in advance: “My acting skills are not good. If I overturn, I will overturn. I will be used as vlog material.”

When she actually stood in front of the camera, she became nervous. The director, lighting, and NPCs were all very serious, and everyone was waiting for her to finish this part. Visitors who originally came just to “have fun” suddenly felt as if they had really entered a film crew.

After every shot, the director would say “pass one, keep one”, leaving two options in hand. But she knew in her heart that neither of them was satisfactory, but she was embarrassed to ask for reshoots for fear of delaying everyone’s time. Looking back afterwards, she felt a little regretful. In fact, she could have brought it up and the director would have cooperated.

This mentality seems to be no different from that of actors who are actually filming on the set. Wanting a finished film without any regrets requires communication, repetition, and time. However, the time for tourists to experience is fixed. It takes half an hour to shoot and one hour to deliver, and the director has to rush the next group. If Gao Gaogang really wanted to make a “impeccable” short drama, she would definitely communicate more seriously, ask for reshoots, and even be willing to spend more time. But she just wanted to play with her mother once. So those little regrets were finally accepted by her.

▲ The director will carefully communicate with tourists about the shooting details. Picture / Provided by Narrator

After all, Hengdian is not the real Disney, without exquisite IP and immersive narrative; nor is it a traditional film and television city, relying only on tickets and crew rentals. Hengdian is becoming more and more like a “land of dreams”, allowing ordinary people who have no chance to act to spend 388 yuan to be the protagonist.

When the scene is finished, the clothes are returned, the makeup is removed, and the set is handed over to the next group of tourists. Ordinary people will eventually return to their own lives.

Gao Gaogao and her mother became “closer” to each other because of this experience. Mother and daughter rarely travel together. The last time we went out together was when we took our puppy to Moganshan for a self-driving trip three or four months ago. This time, they did makeup together, acted together, listened to the director’s instructions together, and after filming, they sat down and watched the playback together.

In the past, traveling was like staying in a different place for a few days. But this time, they accomplished something together. In the camera, Grandma Rong and Ziwei were in tit-for-tat; off-camera, the mother and daughter had a lot of topics because of one scene. They have a video that they can watch over and over again, and a “famous scene” that only belongs to the two of them.

▲ Gao Gaogao and his mother left special memories on the set. Picture / Provided by Narrator

(Bai Bai is a pseudonym in the article)

References:

1. Hengdian Film and Television City Studio, “Media Focus | “Hengdian” breaks through, there are stories everywhere”

2. Dongyang released, “Work hard and forge ahead bravely to be the first in the country!” Hengdian promulgates micro-short drama industry shooting service management regulations”

3. East China Bureau, “Hengdian short dramas cool down, and the industry returns to rationality under the platform shift”

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