A micro-drama is filmed at Hengdian World Studios in Jinhua, East China's Zhejiang Province, on August 25, 2024. Photo: VCG

Film crews may be thinning out at Hengdian World Studios, often dubbed China's Hollywood, but its sets are finding a new audience: tourists eager to star in their own short dramas.

During the National Day holidays, visitors to the studio complex in Hengdian, East China's Zhejiang Province - the country's largest film and television production base - paid hundreds of yuan to star in their own vertical short drama of their own, complete with costumes, makeup, direction and filming. The package also included admission to the scenic area, where visitors could step onto film sets featuring replicas of traditional Chinese palaces and other period architecture.

Jia Yi, 26, chose a 388-yuan ($59) package that included makeup and costumes after seeing a viral video of a woman in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) attire delivering a famous line from the hit television series Empresses in the Palace before acting out a slap scene.

"At first, I thought it looked a little cheesy. Then I thought, why not try it myself?" said Jia. She told the Global Times that she is a fan of Empresses in the Palace and has watched the series more than 10 times.

The shoot turned out to be more demanding than she expected. The director called "Action!" and patiently broke down long lines when her delivery sounded stiff. After more than 40 minutes of filming, she received a finished video just over a minute long, along with photos.

The experience reflects a shift in Hengdian's business model as traditional filming slows and demand for immersive tourism grows.

Hengdian drew over 9 million visitors in the first half of 2026, up 21.2 percent year on year. At peak times, more than 100 people would sign up for the short-drama experience a day. During the holiday, Hengdian rolled out upgraded short-drama shoots and film-themed activities designed for different types of visitors, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

An admission ticket is all it takes to join more than 10 short-drama crews. Directors hand out scripts and coach performers on the spot, allowing visitors to complete a scene in 10 to 45 minutes.

"The best way to turn film from something you watch into something you experience is to allow tourists to become the actors," said director Zhang Jinquan.

Imperial palace dramas, "dragon king" fantasy and time-travel stories are the most popular genres among visitors, Zhang noted, adding that the operation has a dedicated screenwriter who updates scripts to keep pace with audience tastes. Visitors can choose from more than 40 scripts. A solo short drama starts at 218 yuan and a full package including professional makeup and styling costs 388 yuan.

Bu Xiting, an associate research fellow at the School of Cultural Industries Management at the Communication University of China, told the Global Times that Hengdian's existing infrastructure gives it a natural advantage. Its sets have served as filming locations for popular period dramas including Empresses in the Palace, while its experienced crews, costumes and production equipment can be put to use even during lulls in commercial filming.

For tourists, however, the appeal goes beyond the scenery. Familiar sets and iconic lines offer fans a chance to step into stories they have watched repeatedly, while the dressing up, performing in front of a camera and experiencing life as an actor add emotional value to the trip. The finished videos and photos also give visitors something tangible to take home and share on social media, he noted.

"Film sets were originally built to serve production crews. Turning them into tourism products requires a different way of working," Bu said. "Visitors are paying not just to see a set, but to immerse themselves in a story, play a role and leave with something they can share."

For Hengdian, the model also offers a way to make better use of sets and studios during slower filming periods, turning idle production capacity into a new source of tourism revenue, he added.