Factbox:
- Pursuit of Jade, filmed at Hengdian World Studios, debuted at #1 on iQIYI International’s weekly chart, topping global search volume for Chinese dramas in 15 markets worldwide
- During the May holiday last month, nearly 80,000 visitors visited its core filming locations in Hengdian World Studios
- More than 95% of the Pursuit of Jade was filmed at Hengdian World Studios, widely known as China’s Hollywood
HENGDIAN, China, June 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hengdian World Studios, a subsidiary of Hengdian Group, announced a spike in tourism at its Pursuit of Jade filming sets last month, after the hit C-drama swept streaming charts and captured viewers across the globe.
The series, starring Chinese actors Zhang Linghe and Tian Xiwei, drew scores of tourists to its sets in Hengdian world Studios, after topping charts not only in China but also among overseas C-drama audiences. It ranked No. 1 on iQIYI internationally in its debut week and first in search volume in 15 markets including Thailand, Canada, Malaysia and Singapore, according to iQIYI and Google trends.
In May, one of the show’s core filming locations in Hengdian, Fan Lou, was transformed into a Zhang Linghe-themed “tong lou”, a fan-style shrine to the actor’s character. The site drew over 80,000 visitors during the May holiday and became one of Hengdian’s most popular check-in spots, with average daily queue times of more than 40 minutes.
Giant character posters, drama stills, and recreated scenes turned the site into what organizers called a “step-into-the-drama” experience. Visitors arrived in costumes inspired by the series, acting out famous scenes and turning the location into a live extension of the show’s online fandom.
Hengdian World Studios is a sprawling film production base in China’s Zhejiang province where vast parts of the drama were shot. More than 95% of Pursuit of Jade was filmed Hengdian’s various scenic areas and production spaces, including the Qingming Riverside Landscape Garden, Qin Palace, Ming and Qing Palace Garden, and more.
Often known as China’s Hollywood, Hengdian is an entire town built around film, with its streets, palaces, towers, and old city blocks acting as backdrops various dynasties and eras across hundreds of Chinese productions.
Besides Pursuit of Jade, Hengdian was also a shooting base for a slew of popular C-dramas seen by hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide, including The Untamed (2019) and The Legend of Zang Hai (2025), which topped charts on Netflix and Disney+ respectively, as well as Empresses in the Palace (2011), one of the most successful C-dramas of all time.
Pursuit of Jade’s filming locations also gained momentum through streaming sites and online communities. On the subreddit r/cdramasfans, which has over 157K fans, commentors on multiple threads discuss the scenery in Pursuit of Jade and their hopes to see the sets for themselves.
On a thread with hundreds of comments recapping one episode of the show, one redditor wrote, “I wanna visit Hengdian World Studios one day.” Another replied, “I’m booking the seat next to you.”
Unlike most film backlots that are closed to the public or dismantled after shooting, many of Hengdian’s sets are also permanent tourist attractions. Visitors can walk through recreated palaces, streets, and townscapes, sometimes while active film crews are working nearby. The popularity of Pursuit of Jade has shown how screen tourism often begins for visitors to Hengdian, with viewers discovering the show and its stars first, then the filming location later.
Hengdian, historically one of Zhejiang’s major tourist attractions, has also become increasingly prepared to receive travelers from outside China, as Chinese film and television becomes more visible overseas with shows like Pursuit of Jade. Hengdian World Studios offers services including English-language tour guides, hotel staff, event venues and more.
For Pursuit of Jade, the fantasy begins with its characters and story. But for viewers who dive deeper, the show also opens a door into one of the most unique travel destinations in China: a town where palace gates, ancient streets and cinematic dreams are not just watched from afar, but walked through oneself.
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