Summary
Hengdian World Studios is expanding participatory short-drama tourism as AI changes China’s production economy. Visitors can join scripted shoots on working sets, with directors, camera crews, costumes and performers; individual packages reportedly begin at 218 yuan, while larger customized group projects can cost tens or hundreds of thousands of yuan. The format surged during the National Day holiday, when more than ten productions operated across the parks. The report says Hengdian hosted 11.805 million visitors from January through August 2026, up 16.02% year over year. At the same time, local actors describe live-action short-drama projects being cancelled as budgets move to AI productions. Hengdian data cited in the report counted 33 vertical short-drama crews and 26 horizontal long-form crews filming. The studio complex is therefore redirecting sets and performance workers toward tourism while investing 3 billion yuan in a film-themed commercial development.
Hana’s perspective
I see Hengdian’s tourist productions as more than a novelty. They turn physical sets, costumes and production labor into an experience that generative video cannot easily replace. That may offer displaced performers and crews a bridge into interactive entertainment, but it is not a full substitute for stable production jobs. The strongest strategy would combine both sides: preserve skilled human performance and place-based filmmaking while using AI selectively for effects and iteration. Visitor growth is encouraging, yet repeat visits and durable employment will show whether this is a real second business rather than a holiday spike.
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