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July 22, 2015

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Home » City specials » Hangzhou

Feel like a movie star or enter a pink land

By Xu Wenwen | July 22, 2015, Wednesday | Print Edition

A weekend road trip in Zhejiang Province usually means an exploration of nature but there are other worthwhile options. Hengdian is known for its film studio. Hengdian World Film Studio is where many television series and movies are filmed, especially if they are set in ancient China. The studio is so big that it even has a replica of the Old Summer Palace, which took 15 years to prepare and build.

Anji also makes for a wonderful short getaway. Its biggest claim to fame is that some scenes from Ang Lee’s movie “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” were filmed in its lush bamboo forests. The county is back in the headlines now as it is the home of the newly opened Hello Kitty Park, the first outside of Japan. The attraction is expected to attract one million visitors each year.

Shanghai Daily explores both places.

Hengdian World Film Studio

The Old Summer Palace, to some, is the epitome of Chinese architecture. Although it was looted and destroyed over 150 years ago, Hengdian Group built a replica of it at its film studio.

Xu Wenrong, 80, the founder of Hengdian Group, was behind the 30 billion yuan (US$5 billion) project. The group paid close attention to detail, spending 22 billion yuan on purchasing Chinese antiques from overseas. Xu says the Old Summer Palace replica is the fulfillment of a lifetime dream and he hopes it will enhance people’s understanding of traditional Chinese culture.

Visitors are welcome to tour the film studio — a ticket costs 280 yuan — and experience how China’s royal family lived during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Built to the exact scale of the one destroyed in Beijing in 1860 by British and French forces, the replica palace features 95 percent of the original architecture. It includes buildings featuring both northern and southern Chinese characteristics, as well as classic Western royal court-style buildings.

A 150-meter-wide waterfall welcomes everybody. Once inside, the houses feature a combination of ancient vases, statues and furniture replicas, as well as real antiques.

Xu and a team of experts have spent years collecting Chinese antiques overseas.

“The relics of the Old Summer Palace in Beijing remind us of the history of being invaded, while the new one will showcase the glory of ancient wisdom and creativity,” Xu says.

The palace is divided into four parks — one for each season — and contains 100 small gardens. Spring Park comprises 45 different gardens alone.

A panel of 100-plus experts and historians ensure the replica palace matches all aspects of the original, everything from the layout of the mountains, rivers and lakes to the species of plants and the arrangement of vases.

The park is only partially open and requires about half a day to take it all in. Performances and activities are held daily.

Monks give Buddhist and Taoist blessings during the day while a bazaar, ice skating and dragon boat races are nice entertainment options at night.

The remainder of the complex is expected to be complete by the end of 2016. The new palace is expected to attract 10 million tourists within its first three years.

Hello Kitty Park

Since its debut in 1974, Hello Kitty has spawned a massive global industry with sales of more than 50,000 Hello Kitty products in 70 countries and regions. These include dolls, clothes, accessories and homeware. Despite its success, the only Hello Kitty Park outside of Japan is in Anji, Zhejiang. It officially opened earlier this month.

The Hello Kitty theme park cost around US$215 million and puts fans of that famous cat in a fairy tale setting.

Kitty fans can expect a ton of pink around the park. The color and its various hues are plastered all over the castle, the Kitty-centered Ferris Wheel, the merry-go-round and, pretty much everywhere else.

The little white cat from Japan seemingly has an inexhaustible supply of fans on the Chinese mainland. From morning until night there are various interactive and walk-through activities all involving the lovable feline.

Souvenir stores feature Kitty adorned on everything from stationary and backpacks to toasters and cars. Even the rice is shaped like Hello Kitty.

Between 35 and 40 Sanrio characters are visible at the park and are incorporated into games, rides, movies and parades.

A Hello Kitty Hotel is next to the park. Theme rooms will be open by the end of the year although standard rooms are available now starting at 800 yuan per night.

It takes one day to enjoy Hello Kitty Park. But don’t forget to tour around Anji, which is celebrated for its natural beauty and its bamboo groves.

Hangzhou


 

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