Hengdian World Studios () is a

film studio A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio) is a major entertainment company or motion picture company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to make films, which is handled by the productio ...

located in Hengdian, a Chinese town in the city of

Dongyang () is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Jinhua in Central Zhejiang Province, China. It covers an area of and administers eleven towns, one township, and six subdistricts. It is part of the Yangtze River Delta Economic Region. A ...

Zhejiang Province Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiang ...

. It is one of the largest film studios in the world. The movie studio is operated by the privately owned Hengdian Group founded by Xu Wenrong. Xu turned acres of farmland in central Zhejiang into one of the largest movie studios in

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

. Construction began in the mid-1990s and has been ongoing ever since with the possible recent addition of the replica of the

Old Summer Palace The Old Summer Palace, also known as Yuanmingyuan () or Yuanmingyuan Park, originally called the Imperial Gardens (), and sometimes called the Winter Palace, was a complex of palaces and gardens in present-day Haidian District, Beijing, China. ...

. A film about extras working at the studio, '' I Am Somebody'', was released in China in 2015. Hengdian World Studios 012

Studio

The studio’s sets are free for film crews; the studio makes returns on the hotels, restaurants, equipment and costumes. The studio consists of 30 outdoor shooting bases and 130 indoor studio sets, with a total area of up to 330 ha. and building areas of 495,995 square meters. In addition to its huge scale, the studio also has several records which includes: # Largest Indoor Buddha Figure in China. # Largest Scale Indoor Studio. # Highest number of Films and Teleplay Shoots as of 2005. One of the studio's largest buildings is the Imperial Palace Building built in the Early Chinese Dynasty style in the Qin and Han periods. That area is still frequently used to shoot movies based on these eras. The director

Zhang Yimou Zhang Yimou (; born 2 April 1950) is a Chinese film director, producer, writer, actor and former cinematographer.Tasker, Yvonne (2002). "Zhang Yimou" i''Fifty Contemporary Filmmakers'' Routledge Publishing, p. 412. . Google Book Search. Retriev ...

used this building as the backdrop for the Emperor Qin's palace for his 2002 movie ''Hero''. A

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...

TVB drama serial titled ''

A Step into the Past ''A Step into the Past'' is a 2001 Hong Kong television series produced by TVB and based on Huang Yi's novel of the same Chinese title. The series tells the story of a 21st-century Hong Kong VIPPU officer who travels back in time to the Warring ...

'' which tells the story of the First Qin Emperor also used the same building as the main backdrop. The studio was also used to film ''

The Forbidden Kingdom ''The Forbidden Kingdom'' (: ''Gong Fu Zhi Wang'' (Mandarin) or ''Gung Fu Ji Wong'' (Cantonese) and translated ''King of Kung Fu'' (English); Working title: ''The J & J Project'') is a 2008 wuxia film written by John Fusco, and directed by Rob Mi ...

'', the first on-screen collaboration between actors

Jackie Chan Fang Shilong (born 7 April 1954), known professionally in English as Jackie Chan and in Chinese as Cheng Long ( zh, c=成龍, j=Sing4 Lung4; "becoming the dragon"), is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and stuntman known for ...

and

Jet Li Li Lianjie (courtesy name Yangzhong; born 26 April 1963), better known by his stage name Jet Li, is a Chinese film actor, film producer, martial artist, and retired Wushu champion. He is a naturalized Singaporean citizen. After three years ...

. In addition, it was also used for the filming of the popular Korean drama serial '' Empress Ki''. More than 1,200 movies and TV shows have been shot there, including Ang Lee's Oscar-winning ''

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon ''Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'' is a 2000 wuxia film directed by Ang Lee and written for the screen by Wang Hui-ling, James Schamus, and Tsai Kuo-jung . The film features a cast of actors of Chinese ethnicity, including Chow Yun-fat, ...

''; the Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, which is Hollywood co-produced using sets in the Studio; live-action

Mulan (2020 film) ''Mulan'' is a 2020 American fantasy action drama film produced by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Niki Caro from a screenplay by Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Lauren Hynek, and Elizabeth Martin, it is a live-action adaptation of Disney's 19 ...

released on Disney+ on September 4, 2020 in the US.

History

In 1996, Guangzhou Street Scenic Area, the first film and television shooting base, was built to shoot the gifted blockbuster Opium War by director Xie Jin.
In 1997, the King of Qin Palace scienic spot was constructed for the production of the historical blockbuster Jing Ke stabbing the King of Qin.
In 2000, its all scenes are declared free of rent.
In 2004, Hengdian Film and Television Industry Experimental Zone was established as China's number one national film and television industry experimental zone.
In 2010, Hengdian World Studios was listed as a national AAAAA level Scenic Spot.

Visitor attendance

In additional to being a film studio, Hengdian World Studios has also become a tourist attraction, with many of its large sets opening to visitors.

Film and television

It has been reported that around 70 percent of period Chinese television shows and films are being shot at Hengdian World Studios every year.

Film

*''

Confucius Confucius ( ; zh, s=, p=Kǒng Fūzǐ, "Master Kǒng"; or commonly zh, s=, p=Kǒngzǐ, labels=no; – ) was a Chinese philosopher and politician of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. C ...

'' *'' Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame'' *'' DOA: Dead or Alive'' *'' I Am Somebody'' *'' Iron Road'' *'' The Man with the Iron Fists'' *'' The Opium War'' *''

Reign of Assassins ''Reign of Assassins'' is a 2010 ''wuxia'' film directed by Su Chao-pin and co-directed by John Woo. The film is shot in China and set during the Ming Dynasty. The film stars Michelle Yeoh, who plays an assassin who tries to return to a normal li ...

'' *''

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan ''Snow Flower and the Secret Fan'' is a 2005 novel by Lisa See set in nineteenth-century China. In her introduction to the novel, See writes that Lily, the narrator, was born on June 5, 1824—"the fifth day of the sixth month of the third year ...

'' *''

The Warriors Gate ''The Warriors Gate'' (, also released as ''Enter the Warriors Gate'') is a 2016 Chinese-French action-adventure-fantasy film directed by Matthias Hoene and written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen. It was released in China on November 18, 2016 ...

TV series

*'' Beauty's Rival in Palace'' *''

Carol of Zhenguan ''Carol of Zhenguan'' is a Chinese historical television series directed by Wu Ziniu. It was first aired on CCTV-1 in China in 2007. The series is based on the events in the Zhenguan era of the reign of Emperor Taizong during the Tang dynasty. ...

'' *''

The Confidant ''The Confidant '' (Traditional Chinese: 大太監; jyutping: ''Daai6 Taai3 Gaam3'') is a Hong Kong biographical fiction television drama produced by TVB under executive producer Marco Law, and stars Michelle Yim as Empress Dowager Cixi, and Way ...

'' *'' Founding Emperor of Ming Dynasty'' *'' The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber'' *'' Legend of Nine Tails Fox'' *'' Madam White Snake'' *''

Palace A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...

'' *'' The Patriotic Knights'' *''

'' *''

Story of Yanxi Palace ''Story of Yanxi Palace'' () is a Chinese historical series recounting the struggles of a palace maid in the court of the Qianlong Emperor. It was created by Yu Zheng, with original screenplay written by Zhou Mo, and later developed into a novel ...

'' *'' Zheng He Xia Xiyang''

Select attractions

Notes

External links

Hengdian World Studios official website

Hengdian World Studios official website

Hengdian Group - Parent Company
{{Authority control Chinese film studios Buildings and structures in Jinhua Dongyang