Weather in Hengdian

Hengdian World Studios, in Zhejiang Province, is the largest film and television production base in the world - often nicknamed 'Chinawood' - with sprawling recreated sets ranging from Ming and Qing dynasty palaces to entire ancient city streets, many still used for filming costume dramas while tourists wander through. Visitors can watch live battle re-enactment shows, rent period costumes, and occasionally spot real film crews at work between the sets.

Best areas to stay in Hengdian

Qingming Shanghe Tu Zone

A recreation of a Song Dynasty riverside city based on a famous historical scroll painting.

Qin & Han Palaces Zone

Large-scale recreations of ancient imperial palace complexes, frequently used for historical dramas.

Hong Kong & Guangzhou Street Zone

Recreated early-20th-century street scenes used for colonial-era and gangster film settings.

Hengdian Town

The surrounding town housing crew accommodation, costume rental shops and budget hotels for visitors.

Getting to Hengdian

✈

Flights

Fly into Shanghai or Hangzhou, then take a high-speed train to Yiwu or Dongyang followed by a short transfer to Hengdian.

⏱

From London

~14-16 hours total from London including transfers

🚕

Getting around

Shuttle buses connect the different themed zones, which are too spread out to cover entirely on foot.

Frequently asked questions

When is the best time to visit Hengdian World Studios?

Spring and autumn offer comfortable weather for walking between the spread-out sets, which cover a huge area best tackled across more than one day.

How do I get to Hengdian World Studios?

Hengdian is reachable by high-speed train to Yiwu or Dongyang followed by a short bus or taxi, or directly by long-distance bus from cities including Hangzhou and Shanghai.

What is there to see at Hengdian?

Multiple themed zones recreate different dynasties and settings, including Qing Dynasty palace complexes, Hong Kong street sets, and Guangzhou street recreations, often with live performance shows.

Can I see actual filming taking place?

It's possible, as Hengdian remains an active production base for Chinese film and TV - though there's no guarantee on any given day, and active sets may be off-limits.

How much time should I budget for Hengdian?

The studios are spread across a huge area with separate ticketed zones, so a full day is the minimum for one or two zones, and enthusiasts often spend two or three days to see more.

Traveler reviews

★★★★☆

Genuinely impressive scale - the palace sets look just like they do on TV, and we got lucky and saw a costume drama being filmed in one of the side streets.

Jia L. · October 2024

★★★★☆

Spent a full day and only covered two of the zones, the live battle show was surprisingly elaborate. Good fun if you're into Chinese historical dramas.

Mark E. · May 2023

★★★☆☆

Fun novelty but quite spread out and the costume rental areas felt a bit touristy. Worth it if you're already in the region rather than a special trip on its own.

Ting Y. · April 2024