On November 2, onlookers outside a palace chamber in Hengdian watched four women in silk robes and jade hairpins act out a court fight. One consort slapped another. The director called for another take. Then the cast bent over their phones and started laughing.
They were not filming a television drama. They were friends who had traveled more than 1,500 kilometers to star in a short palace scene of their own.
Hengdian World Studios, in eastern China, is often called China's Hollywood. Many period dramas are shot there. This year the studio opened those sets to visitors. Guests can film on a copy of Beijing's Forbidden City, or on old Shanghai streets used in professional productions.
Clare Huang was playing an empress. "When I was a kid, I loved playing director and getting the other children to act out scenes," she said. "I've always enjoyed this kind of thing, so today a few of us get to see what it feels like."
For 388 yuan each, Huang and her friends received hair, makeup, costumes, a 30-minute shoot with a director, and a 90-second edited film. Guests can choose from more than 20 scripts, most about palace intrigue, romance, or betrayal.
Hengdian said the project launched in August and has already drawn more than 2,000 people. Bookings are full on most days, especially on weekends and holidays. Wang Weili, a director, said that during a holiday week he shot from morning until dark and still could not fit everyone in. He once filmed 20 groups in a single day.
Visitors used to come here to watch stars. Now a director and a camera turn around the tourists, and the friends leave with a palace scene that belongs to them.