Shandong city turns to film industry
A city in East China's Shandong province is turning its growing film production industry into a new driver of tourism and local consumption, as movie and television projects bring more visitors and businesses to Laoling.
In late 2023, the production team behind Detective Chinatown 1900 was searching across China for a location that could recreate San Francisco's Chinatown in the early 20th century.
Laoling Film Studio offered to build a set specifically for the movie. It recreated an old San Francisco Chinatown comprising 199 buildings in just 218 days, providing the main setting for the film.
The studio had already gained attention in 2024 after the costume drama Flourished Peony, filmed at its Tang Dynasty (618-907)-themed complex, became popular and drew visitors to the site.
