If you are like me, a fan of costume c-drama, you would hear of this place called Hengdian. Often mentioned as the location where almost all of the costume (historical, xianxia & wuxia) were shot.
I had the chance to visit Hengdian for 1-day (unfortunately that’s the only time I had) so I barely graced the surface of the place. However, I am here to save everybody from making the some of the mistakes that I did.
How to get to Hengdian via public transport?
Hengdian is a town located in Dongyang, Zhejiang province accessible from 3 airports. The most famous one being, Shanghai.
I opted to fly in via Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), which is the furthest airport from Hengdian but with the most international flight connectivity.
This is the actual route I took during my trip. My plane landed at Shanghai Pudong Airport at 3pm, Thursday. I had early dinner at the airport and made it to the train station at around 6.40pm, for a 7.13pm train.
Where to stay in Hengdian?
I opted to stay for 2 nights in Hengdian (only translates to 1 full day of exploring). The hotel I chose to stay at was Hengdian Chengyi Hotel (Movie City Branch) located around 20 mins (15km) from Hengdian Railway Station.
The main reason I chose this hotel was due to the ancient style furnishing of it’s room. The room is very spacious, clean and exactly as pictured for an affordable price of 350¥ per night for 3 pax.
Location wise it still requires taxi (didi) ride of 5 to 10 minutes to the Hengdian World Studios. The hotel is located in a quieter side of Hengdian and not much food options in the area. However, taxi (didi) is very easy to get so we had no problem getting around.
Based on the room you chose, you’ll get free breakfast and also additional free gifts such as free Hanfu rental (with 300¥ deposit). I didn’t get to try this but I did see the outfits displayed at the hotel. Reviewers did mention that you can use the hanfu outside the hotel and even to the Hengdian World Studios for free. Please confirm with the hotel when you make the reservation.
There’s also free 1 time drop off/pickup service to a Hengdian World Studios park of your choice and a free Lacquer Fan Experience.
One thing to note is that the hotel doesn’t actively promote the free gift I was eligible to, and hence I’ve missed out on all of it (except for breakfast). It might’ve been due to my late check-in or language barrier (I don’t speak Chinese) so please don’t forget to inquire on the free gifts.
Where to go to see filming locations in Hengdian?
This is where I made my biggest mistake, I initially thought all the filming locations are at one spot but this is definitely not the case.
Many locations are named as Hengdian World Studios but they are not anywhere near one another, and also not part of the same ticket entrance fee.
The main places that are the most famous are as follows:
Click the corresponding pictures for more details
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