Hengdian World Studios

Duped the "Chinawood", Hengdian World Studios is the largest film studio in Asia, and the largest films and televison series theme park in China. Wandering about the world studios is like stepping back in China's history from Qin Dynasty (221 - 207 BC) to present time; you may come across Chinese stars at work; you may go through sets simulating nature like storm and floods. Furthermore, you can appreciate wonderful performances inspired by natural phenomena or historical events.
 

Map of Hengdian World Studios (Click to enlarge)

The large studio houses both landscape scenes and architecture: from the old to the new, from the grand to the humble, which are quite a variety!
 

Fantasy Valley focuses on natural catastrophe, such us the eruption of a volcano, heavy storms, and floods. Also, it is a theme park for nighttime films, which is equipped with various special effects gadgets. Fantasy Tai Chi emulates volcanic eruptions almost guarantied to awe. On a total area of 79.7 acres (32.3 hectares), the valley consists of the Dream Culture Village, the Water World, Children's Dream Industry and the South of the Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River.
 Built in 1998, the Ming and Qing Palace Area is a same scaled model of the Forbidden City. Magnificent palaces, splendid imperial gardens, sublime mansions of royal family, grand government offices, and folk houses are all found here. It is the largest film production studio on site, with a total area of 247 acres (100 hectares).
 The studio's Palace of Emperor Qin was built in 1997. It is modeled after the fabled royal Xianyang Palace, Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC). The main halls, annex, towers, and gates are some twenty-seven structures. The city wall has a girth of 1.6 miles (2.5 kilometers), and a maximum height of 59 feet (18 meters). Over 500 films have been made here, making the Palace of Emperor Qin a cradle of historical films.
 The Riverside Scene renders a street scene from a historical painting by Zhang Zeduan live. Tourists may get into the hustle and bustle back in time – by a thousand years. The theme is divided into the outer city and the inner city, covering a total area of more than 99 acres (40 hectares). There are over 120 houses, 6 bridges, 9 wharves, 6 boats and 14 archways. Breathtaking!
 The Guangzhou Street looks exactly like Guangzhou from a photo taken in the 1840s. It caters to honeymoon seekers. Also, it is one of the most sought after backdrop for wedding photography. There are more than thirty European style buildings in Hong Kong Street, indicating the prosperity of the Victorian City in the 19th century.
 The Ming and Qing Domestic Houses comprise of the Qinhuai River Scenic Spot and the Peach Flower Scenic Spot. The former centers on the Qinhuai River and Confucius Temple and presents the prosperous scenes of the ancient city, Nanjing. The latter is the preserve of ancient Chinese folk houses. There are more than two hundred folk houses of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), and the Republic of China, which were relocated here from Zhejiang Province, Anhui Province, and Jiangxi Province. These houses cover a total area of more than 148 acres (60 hectares). You will appreciate Chinese folk architecture when roaming among these houses.
 Walking to the south end of the Hengdian World Studios, you will find the Chinese Cultural Garden. The Three Religions Tower is depository for cultural artifacts reflecting the thoughts of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism.
 The Rocky Grotto is renowned as the First Grotto in the Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River. The grotto has precipitous cliffs, the strange grotto, the red leaves, and the buildings above the ground. You will revel in the beauty of nature. There are also a great number of Taoist temples built along the cliffs. Splendid!
 The Dazhi Buddhist Temple was constructed around (502- 557), or 1500 years ago. You can see the Mahavira Hall, the Hall of Heavenly King, the Hall of Arhats, the Bell Tower, and the Drum Tower. The temple exudes harmony and peace.
 Visitors can trace the history of China's aeronautics and space development in the National Defense Garden. There are many exhibition halls, such as: the Military Parade Hall, the armament of air, sea, and land forces, and the Space Exploration Hall.
 

Attractions	Performance	Time	Place
Fantasy Valley	Come on, Little Bird	17:30	Exclusive Theater
	Fantasy Tai Chi	January 2nd to March 14th: No show; March 15th to May 11th: 20:00; May 12th June 13th: 20:30 June 14th to December 31st: 20:00	Fantasy Tai Chi Theater
	Heavy Storm and Flood	January 2nd to 29th: 19:00; January 30th to March 14th: 19:30; March 15th to May 11th: 19:00; May12th to June 13th: 19:30; June 14th to August 31st: 21:00; September 1st to December 31st: 19:00	Heavy Tempest Theater
	Aquatic Recreation	16:00-19:00	Water World
	Ancient Music Performance	18:00-19:30	South of the Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River
	Recreation World	16:00-19:00 January 1st to March 15th: No admission	Dream Culture Village
Ming and Qing Palaces	Myths of the Qing Palace	11:00, 15:00	Huguang Guild Hall
	Jostling on Horseback	January 1st to March 14th: 10:00, 14:00; March 15th to November 15th: 10:00, 13:00; November 16th to December 31st: 10:00, 14:00	East Annex Hall
	Great Ceremony in the Forbidden City	January 1st to March 14th: 9:00; March 15th to November 15th: 9:00, 14:00; November 16th to December 31st: 9:00	West Watch Tower
	Emperor Kangxi on the Cruise	January 1st to March 14th: 13:00, 16:00; March 15th to November 15th: 16:00; November 16th to December 31st: 13:00, 16:00	Middle Palace Gate
Palace of Emperor Qin	Swordfight between Swordsmen	9:00, 11:00, 13:00, 16:00	East Annex Hall
	Coronation of the First Qin Emperor	10:00, 15:00	On the Ninety-Ninth Footstep
	Advent of  Dragon Emperor	January to April, and October to December: 9:00-16:00; May to September: 8:30-16:30	Secluded Theater
	Emperor Qin Greeting Guests	8:00	Middle Palace Gate
	Dream of the Qin and Han Dynasties	9:00, 14:00, 16:00	West Surveillance Building
Riverside Scene	A Dream of Bianliang （today's Kaifeng）	January, February, March, May, June, September, November and December: 10:00, 14:00; April, July, August, and October: 10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00; Spring Festival, Workers' Day Holiday, and National Day Holiday: 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00	Secluded Theater
	Breaking the Heavenly Gate Battle Array	9:00, 15:00	General Assignment Terrace
	Wu Song Saving His Brother	8:00, 16:00	Commercial Street
	Emperor' s Love Story	11:00, 13:00 Spring Festival, Workers'Day Holiday, and National Day Holiday: 10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00	Secluded Theater
	Story of a Spirit	8:30-11:30, 12:30-16:30	Secluded Theater
Guangzhou Street and Hong Kong Street	Magic Feelings	9:00, 13:00, 15:40	Elizabeth Theater
	Heroic Deed of Huang Feihuang	10:00， 14:00	Yuehai Theater
	Raging Sea	11:00, 15:00	Victoria Harbor
Ming and Qing Folk Houses	Eight Beauties by the Qinhuai River	Weekdays: 15:30; Saturday: 10:30, 15:30; Sunday: 10:30 April 5th to October 31st: 10:30, 15:30	Secluded Theater
	4D Theater	January to April: 8:30, 9:30, 10:30, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00; May to September: 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00; October to December: 8:30, 9:30, 10:30, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00	Fuzi Temple
	A Golden Love Story	Monday to Saturday: 9:00, 14:00; Sunday: 9:00, 14:00, 15:30	Ancient Building Theater
Chinese Cultural Garden	Enchanted with Huaxia	Weekdays: 9:00, 15:00 Saturday: 9:00, 10:30, 13:30, 15:00 Sunday: 9:00, 10:30, 15:00	Second Floor of the Secluded Theater
	Acrobatics Show	Weekday: 10:00, 16:00 Weekends and holidays: 16:00	Yuleyuan Square

 Note: The timetable is only for reference. As for the actual performances, please refer to the real-time notice.
 

In Dongyang, Jinhua of Zhejiang Province and reachable from Yiwu, Hangzhou and Shanghai, the Hengdian World Studios can be a reasonable train or coach ride away.

 How to Get There:
 From Yiwu
 By coach:
Take a coach to Hengdian from Jiangdong Passenger Station for about CNY 15. The coach operates from 6:00 to 15:50. The frequency is 30 minutes, and the trip duration is about one hour.

 From Hangzhou
 By coach:
1. Take a coach to Hengdian from Hangzhou South Bus Station. The bus is scheduled to run at 6:50, 8:00, 9:50, 10:50, 13:30, 14:10, 16:50, and 17:50. Duration of trip is about 2.5 hours and ticket fare is CNY 64.
2. Take a coach at Hangzhou Tourist Dispatch Center (Huanglong Sports Center) to Hengdian. The bus runs at 8:00, 10:00, and 16:30. Trip lasts about 2.5 hours costing CNY 60.
3. At Xiaoshan Airport, direct coaches run to Hengdian at 10:20, 11:30, 12:30, 13:30, 16:30, 17:30, 18:40 and 20:00. Trip lasts 2.5 hours costing CNY 70.

By train:
Both bullet and ordinary trains are available to Yiwu and there are lots of departures per day. Duration for bullet trains is about 40 minutes and ticket fare is CNY 84.5 for a first class seat and CNY 50 for a second class seat. For ordinary trains, duration ranges from 1-2 hours and ticket fare is around CNY 105 for a soft sleeper and CNY 70 for a hard sleeper. Upon arrival, take bus K805 to Jiangdong Passenger Station and then take a coach to your destination.

 From Shanghai
 By coach:
1. Take a coach to Dongyang at General Long-distance Bus Station for CNY 104. The bus is available at 7:30, 9:00, 13:30, 13:50 and 16:10. The duration is about 4 hours. Upon arrival, change to a coach to Hengdian for CNY 6. The duration is about 20 minutes, and the frequency is 10 minutes.
2. Or take a coach at South Passenger Station to Dongyang. The schedules are at 8:15, 9:33, 14:05, 14:39 and 16:53. Duration is about 4 hours and ticket fare is also CNY 104. Upon arrival, change to a coach to your destination.

By train:
Take a train to Yiwu. 27 bullet trains depart from Hongqiao Railway Station each day from 06:30 to 18:33; duration is about 1.5-2 hours and ticket fare is CNY 201.5 for a first class seat and CNY 123 for a second class seat. 26 ordinary trains are available at South Railway Station from 05:41 to 23:30 with duration ranges from 2.5-5.5 hours; ticket fare is CNY 140.5 for a soft sleeper and CNY 92.5 for a hard sleeper. Upon arrival, take bus K805 to Jiangdong Passenger Station and then take a coach to your destination.

 How to Get Around:
 By Sightseeing Bus:
The bus is available from 8:00 to 16:30 with the duration of 30 minutes. But there is no departure at 12:00. Ticket fare is CNY 1. The route is listed below.
1. Line A: Galaxy Hotel- Tourism Building- International Trade Building- Movie Star Hotel- Wansheng Building of Movie Star Hotel- Ming and Qing Folk Houses- Fantasy Valley- Palace of Emperor Qin- VIP Building- Riverside Scenes- Chinese Cultural Garden- Guangzhou Street and Hong Kong Street, Ming and Qing Palaces- back to Galaxy Hotel
2. Line B: Wanhao Hotel- Wansheng Building of Movie Star Hotel- Movie Star Hotel- International Trade Building- Tourism Building- Galaxy Hotel- Guangzhou Street and Hong Kong Street, Ming and Qing Palace- Chinese Cultural Garden-Riverside Scenes- VIP Building- Palace of Emperor Qin- Fantasy Valley- Ming and Qing Folk Houses- back to Wanhao Hotel

 By City Bus:
The bus is available from 7:00 to 17:30; duration is 10 minutes and ticket fare is CNY 1. The route is listed below.
Houling Hill (Tourist Service Center)- West Hill (Gasoline Station)- Lingnan Hotel- Ming and Qing Palaces- Guangzhou Street and Hong Kong Street- Rocky Grotto- Golf Course- Galaxy Hotel- Tourism Building- International Trade Building- Ming and Qing Folk Houses- Holiday Resort- Fantasy Valley- Palace of Emperor Qin- Riverside Scenes

 By Taxi:
The taxi is available from 6:30 to 23:00. CNY 8 will be charged for 2 kilometers or below, and CNY 2 will be charged for every kilometer thereafter (One kilometer is about 0.6 mile).
 

Fantasy Valley (Night Visit)	16:00-21:00
Other Attractions	April to September: 8:30-17:30 October to the next March: 8:30-16:30

Tickets	Scenic Spots	Price (CNY)
Single Ticket for Entire Day	Ming and Qing Palaces	140
	Guangzhou Street and Hong Kong Street	110
	Riverside Scenes	150
	Palace of Emperor Qin	140
	Ming and Qing Folk Houses	120
	Chinese Cultural Garden	100
	National Defense Garden	60
	Rocky Grotto	80
	Fantasy Valley	280
Combo Two-Day Ticket	Dazhi Buddhist Temple + Five of the six attractions (Ming and Qing Palaces, Guangzhou Street and Hong Kong Street, Riverside Scenes, Palace of Emperor Qin, Ming and Qing Folk Houses, and Chinese Cultural Garden)	450
	Fantasy Valley + Dazhi Buddhist Temple + Three of the six attractions (Ming and Qing Palaces, Guangzhou Street and Hong Kong Street, Riverside Scenes, Palace of Emperor Qin, Ming and Qing Folk Houses, and Chinese Cultural Garden)	500
Combo Three-Day Ticket	Fantasy Valley + Dazhi Buddhist Temple + Five of the six attractions (Ming and Qing Palaces, Guangzhou Street and Hong Kong Street, Riverside Scenes, Palace of Emperor Qin, Ming and Qing Folk Houses, and Chinese Cultural Garden)	590

 Tip: Free admission for children who stand 3.9 feet (1.2 meters) or less in height. Children between 3.9 feet (1.2 meters) and 4.9 feet (1.5 meters) in height are admitted at half price.

 Further reading
China Western Film Studio