(Xinhua) When a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) scholar steps into his courtyard, he may discover {that a} Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) marriage ceremony is unfolding subsequent door. Each scenes will be noticed concurrently in Yuanqiao Village, the place guests could possibly be forgiven for feeling that they had been in parallel universes.
Certainly, this village, nestled within the metropolis of Dengfeng, central China’s Henan Province, has gained prominence as a filming location for micro dramas. It has been dubbed as a “Shudian,” and is considerably akin to China’s Hollywood, Hengdian Township, situated in east China’s Zhejiang Province. The Chinese language characters “Shu” and “Heng” actually imply vertical and horizontal, respectively. Micro dramas, notably, are usually shot utilizing a vertical format.
“Because of micro dramas, we noticed a surge in guests throughout the Spring Competition,” mentioned 75-year-old villager Yuan Tiefang, who’s in his sixth yr working as a caretaker for these previous buildings.
The village, boasting a historical past of over 600 years and housing over 420 households, preserves an unlimited expanse of Ming and Qing courtyards. In 2018, a renovation venture was initiated to revive the buildings.
“The well-preserved historic structure on this village is a rarity in central China,” mentioned Lyu Hongjun, president of the Songshan tradition analysis affiliation of Dengfeng.
Liu Wantao, Social gathering chief of the village, informed Xinhua that that they had beforehand thought-about growing tourism, solely to find that vacationers confirmed scant curiosity within the village.
The turning level got here in 2023, when the filming crew of a micro drama arrived within the village. “They’d deliberate a five-day schedule however accomplished all their work in simply three days,” he recalled. Earlier than departing, they saved praising the village for its ample historic architectural sources, which eradicated the necessity for cumbersome scene adjustments.
The village gained additional consideration when a drama filmed there went viral, amassing over 30 million views and attracting extra manufacturing groups. On some days, the village might see the filming of as much as three micro dramas concurrently.
Formally acknowledged as a style in 2020, micro dramas have exploded in China. In 2024, the whole income exceeded 50 billion yuan (about 7.2 billion U.S. {dollars}), up 34.9 p.c yr on yr.
Villager An Qing’e, 63, sometimes works as an additional in these micro dramas. “The primary time I needed to recite traces, I used to be so nervous that I stumbled a number of occasions. Rising up within the village, it was robust to shake off my accent,” she recalled.
An has since developed right into a assured and eloquent storyteller, regaling vacationers with particulars of the historical past of the traditional buildings. Many different villagers have had their turns in entrance of the cameras, whereas some have labored behind the scenes, shifting props and establishing scenes. By doing such work, they’ve earned 200 yuan a day.
Up to now, greater than 50 micro dramas have been filmed in Yuanqiao.
The village’s newfound fame has been accompanied by an inflow of vacationers. Based on Liu, the village can now accommodate over 200 visitors and serve dinner to 1,200 folks, abruptly. Within the yr of 2025 alone, it obtained roughly 150,000 vacationers, producing complete tourism income of about 4 million yuan.
China unveiled its “No. 1 central doc” for 2026 final month, outlining plans to advance agricultural and rural modernization and promote all-around rural revitalization. The newly-released fifteenth 5-Yr Plan (2026-2030) additionally requires growing funding in rural revitalization.
Trying forward, Liu informed Xinhua that they are going to proceed renovating the traditional buildings, referring to them because the “roots of Yuanqiao and the inspiration of growth.” He additionally talked about that the village plans to take a position 3 million yuan in creating drama units, which is not going to solely serve drama manufacturing but additionally improve the expertise for vacationers. Yuanqiao, moreover, plans to collaborate with faculties to domesticate expertise within the micro drama trade.
Yuan Tiefang, the oldest caretaker within the village, returned to work instantly after the Spring Competition vacation. “The Yr of the Horse can be one other busy yr,” he mentioned.
Supply: Xinhua 2026-03-17 11:10:15
