Famous Chinese Film Studio Lets Tourists Star In Short-Drama For Just $30

Hengdian World Studios, often dubbed China's "Hollywood of the East", came up with a clever strategy to boost ticket sales and attract visitors to the business. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), they are allowing tourists to step into the spotlight as lead actors for about 200 yuan (US$30) per person. 

The studio has introduced this budget-friendly service to tap into China's booming micro-drama trend - fast-paced video episodes designed for smartphone screens. Instead of simply walking through historic film sets, visitors get to take part in the production process from start to finish.

Earlier, the tourists could only explore the national 5A-rated attraction, which has over 100 sub-studios showcasing 5,000 years of history. Now, the tourists can put on elaborate costumes, work with professional crews, and star in their very own video dramas.

Also read | 13-Year-Old Makes Rs 2.5 Lakh In 3 Days By Selling AI Study App Built Without Coding Skills

They can get assistance from experienced local directors, many with years of background guiding extras, who walk amateur actors through each scene step-by-step.

Within a few hours, tourists walk away with a fully edited short film featuring themselves in dramatic roles like ancient royalty, martial arts heroes, or historical figures.

This move comes after a visible shift in the movie-making business in China. China National Radio reported that the production of vertical short dramas saw a boom instead of traditional landscape dramas in 2025.

Also read | Major Music Labels Sue Anthropic Over Misuse Of "Tens Of Thousands" Of Copyrighted Songs

But within a few months, it changed. In the first quarter of 2026, around 128,000 short dramas were released, but 95% of them were produced using AI.

The news went viral on social media, with one local commenting, "This is truly a tour in our daydreams."

"I want to play that character who slaps people in their face all day long," another user said quoted in the report.

"Finally, I can be in show business," a third user said as mentioned in the report.