Fans of Chinese TV and movies flock to cities where stories are set

During the past month, the coastal city of Jiangmen in Guangdong province welcomed a surge of tourists. Many of them visited the city due to the TV series The Knockout, which debuted in mid-January and quickly became a hit.

The 39-episode drama tells the story of a police officer's fight against organized crime over the course of 20 years. As of press time, it had earned 8.5 out of 10 points on the review platform Douban, based on more than 600,000 votes.

Most of the drama's emotional scenes were shot in Jiangmen, which features various old streets and historical buildings that blend Chinese and Western elements.

"It is a small but charming city," a netizen said on Chinese lifestyle-sharing platform Xiaohongshu after touring Jiangmen recently.

"I took some great photos at the filming locations and tasted local specialties including noodles with trotters. No wonder it is the favorite food of Gao Qiqiang (the protagonist in the drama)," she said.

According to data from online travel agency Ctrip.com, searches for Jiangmen between Jan 20 and Feb 2 on its platform increased by 163 percent compared with the previous two weeks. Meanwhile, bookings for Jiangmen-related tour products rose 121 percent, Ctrip.com said.

The blockbuster movie, Full River Red, which was released on the first day of the recent Spring Festival holiday, also boosted the tourism of Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi province.

The suspense comedy, inspired by a famous poem that is believed to have been created by military general Yue Fei in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), was mainly shot at a filming base in the old county seat of Taiyuan. Some sets, costumes and props of the film were retained, allowing tourists to play the film roles themselves and have an immersive experience.

Putting on armor and climbing to the top of a traditional building while reciting the poem has become popular among tourists to the ancient town, said staff members.

Data from Ctrip.com showed that the town was the most favored scenic spot in Taiyuan during the Spring Festival holiday. Compared with 2022, the number of orders bound for Taiyuan jumped 151 percent.

Traveling to places where films or TV dramas were shot has become a new trend in tourism. It is being driven by a consumption upgrade and tourists' demands for unusual experiences, said a report on Chinese filming locations, jointly released by Ctrip.com and video-streaming platform iQiyi.

Young people are the main consumers, with those born in the 1990s and 2000s accounting for 57 percent of all tourists, according to the report. In addition, residents in first-tier cities expressed a preference for the novelty.

Local tourism authorities should take the opportunity to explore tourism resources and develop products to attract more visitors, the report said.

To this question, Zhanjiang in Guangdong province offered its answer by revealing a renovation plan for the Chikan ancient culture block in 2022. The area has received flocks of tourists in recent years due to the suspense TV series The Bad Kids.

Jiangmen is also making efforts to protect and repair its old buildings and it has launched multiple projects to promote local Chinese culture overseas.

During 2016-20, more than 20 films and TV dramas were shot in the city thanks to its magnificent buildings and cultured urban atmosphere.