Hengdian & Yiwu

Hengdian World Studios, the "Hollywood of the East," brings together the Qin Palace, the Ming and Qing Palaces, the Along the River During the Qingming Festival set and the Dream Bund, right next to Dongyang's Lu Residence, the Woodcarving City and Yiwu, the world capital of small commodities.

This destination centers on Hengdian Town in Dongyang, Jinhua, and also takes in downtown Dongyang, Yiwu and the Fangyan area of Yongkang, on the eastern edge of the Jinqu Basin in central Zhejiang. It has three calling cards. First is Hengdian World Studios, one of the largest film and TV production bases in the world and known as the "Hollywood of the East": more than ten sites, including the Ming and Qing Palaces, the Qin Palace, the Along the River During the Qingming Festival set, Guangzhou Street & Hong Kong Street, the Dream Bund, the New Yuanmingyuan and Dream Valley, are spread around Hengdian Town. Hundreds of film crews shoot here every year, and with the recent boom in short dramas, visiting sets to watch the "Hengdian drifters" (aspiring actors) at work has become a new draw. Second is Yiwu, home to the Yiwu International Trade City, the world's largest small-commodities market, and Fotang Ancient Town, a trading port since the Song dynasty. Third is Dongyang's Wu-style architecture and woodcarving culture, seen at the Lu Residence and China Woodcarving City. The climate is subtropical monsoon; Mar–May and Sep–Nov are the best months. Jul–Aug is hot, and since most of the studio sets are outdoors, bring sun protection; winters are damp and cold. Getting there: Hengdian Station on the Hangzhou–Wenzhou high-speed railway is now open, about 1 hour from Hangzhou; alternatively, take the Shanghai–Kunming high-speed railway to Yiwu Station, then a taxi of about 40 minutes to Hengdian. Yiwu Airport has domestic flights. Suggested 3 days: 2 days in Hengdian (day 1: Ming and Qing Palaces + Guangzhou Street & Hong Kong Street + the Dream Bund at night; day 2: Qin Palace + the Qingming Festival set + Dream Valley or the New Yuanmingyuan) and 1 day in Yiwu (the Trade City + Fotang Ancient Town). Downtown Jinhua, Zhuge Bagua Village in Lanxi and the Double Dragon Cave are covered under the separate "Jinhua & Lanxi" destination. Tickets: a single Hengdian site costs about ¥110–140, Dream Valley and the New Yuanmingyuan cost more, and multi-site passes are better value; check official sources for current prices. Local food includes Dongyang wo noodles, Hengdian country cooking, Yiwu brown sugar and Fotang tofu-skin noodles. Note: each site's stage shows run at fixed times, so check the schedule before you go in; if you visit a set, follow the crew's instructions.

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