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

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.