Lasting impressions: 10 beautiful film locations in China

S E E D E D   C O N T E N T

Are you fond of watching films? Does the colorful, natural, or spectacular scenery in the films entice you to travel to their locations? An excellent film is worth delving into, whether in terms of its plot, cast performance, or stunning settings. Although many films nowadays implement many special effects, the iconic scenes in films are captured in natural places, which can create lasting impressions on audiences and become famous in their own right. We have selected ten gorgeous film locations in China. If you’re a film aficionado or an outdoor enthusiast, check them out!

The Dajiu Lake Wetland Park in Hubei is home to nine lakes and rare animals [Photo/VCG]

Dajiu Lake Wetland Park &  The Assassin

Tucked in Shennongjia UNESCO Global Geopark, Central China's Hubei province, the Dajiu Lake Wetland Park boasts mesmerizing sceneries. It is a rare subalpine peat marsh wetland in the world’s middle latitude, at an altitude of over 1,730 meters and with a total area of 20,000 hectares.

Known as “Hulun Buirof Hubei province”, it is home to nine lakes on the plateau and lush meadows. In the wetland park, there are extensive alpine meadows, wetland ferns, and rare animals, such as storks, cranes, and sika deer, which are valuable for scientific research.

In the film
The Assassin 《刺客聂隐娘》(2015)
Director Hou Hsiao-hsien
Starring Shu Qi, Zhou Yun, Chang Chen, Satoshi Tsumabuki

The film’s finale was shot in Dajiu Lake Wetland Park. Nie Yinniang (played by Shu Qi) kept her promise to return to the village to meet the mirror polisher (played by Satoshi Tsumabuki) and the elderly man who harvests herbs (played by Shih Chun). She embarks on her way to escort the mirror polisher for the kingdom of Silla. They go over the vast plains of the Dajiu Lake Wetland Park, surrounded by the breathtaking backdrop of an azure sky, withered grass, and mist drifting above waters.

The Palace of Silver Peace ( Yin'an dian), the primary building of the Prince Kung’s Mansion, has a symbolic meaning for the residence. It opened only on grand occasions in history. [Photo/pgm.org.cn]

Prince Kung’s Mansion &  Farewell My Concubine

Located in Xicheng district in Beijing, Prince Kung’s Mansion (preserved and repurposed into a museum known as the Prince Kung's Palace Museum) was the largest among the residences of princes during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). As a national-level foremost protected cultural heritage site, it witnessed the prosperity and fall of the Qing Dynasty. As a saying goes: “You can revisit the history of half of the Qing dynasty at the Prince Kung’s Mansion”.

Prince Kung’s Mansion was the residence of several Qing dynasty aristocrats and imperial kinsmen, including the very first resident Heshen (1750-1799). He was the powerful yet controversial political leader during the Qianlong reign. Yongling, the younger brother of the Jiaqing Emperor (r. 1796-1820), and Yixin or Prince Gong (the mansion is named after him), and the younger brother of the Xianfeng Emperor (r. 1851-1861. The mansion has a large garden with ponds, rocks, and various plants. It had stunning sceneries all year round.

In the film
Farewell My Concubine 《霸王别姬》(1993)
Director Chen Kaige
Starring Leslie Cheung, Gong Li, Zhang Fengyi

The Palme d'Or winning film is set in the turbulent period of the early 20th century in Beijing. It explores the lifelong friendship of two Peking Opera actors, Cheng Dieyi (played by Leslie Cheung) and Duan Xiaolou (played by Zhang Fengyi).

Dieyi and Xiaolou grow up together in a Peking Opera troupe from childhood. The good-looking Dieyi is trained to play the female role (the "dan" role) while Xiaolou plays the painted-face male role (the "jing" role). Under harsh trainings, they rise to fame during their adolescence, after Dieyi painstakingly yields to accept the female identity established for him by the opera. Once, the troupe is invited to perform for the retired yet wealthy eunuch Zhang at his luxury residence. Zhang is so captivated by Dieyi's performance in the  Farewell My Concubine (Guifei zuijiu)  that he asks to meet him alone after the play. Zhang disregards the troupe master's appeal to ask Xiaolou to accompany him. In a long and ascending corridor near the backstage of the theater, a servant of Zhang dresses Dieyi with a cloak and rudely carries him away. Xiaolou, still in his opera costume, fails to join them. The eunuch Zhang sexually assaults Dieyi in his chamber.

An aerial view of Xixi National Wetland Park in Hangzhou, East China’s Zhejiang province [Photo/VCG]

Situated in Hangzhou, East China’s Zhejiang province, less than five kilometers from West Lake, Xixi National Wetland Park covers a total area of 11.5 square kilometers. It boasts rich ecological resources, beautiful natural scenery, and profound culture.

Rivers, ponds, lakes, and swamps make up over 70 percent of the park, which is China’s first national wetland park integrating urban, agricultural, and cultural wetlands.

In 2009, Xixi National Wetland Park was inscribed on the List of Wetlands of International Importance in China. In 2012 it was China’s first wetland park to receive a national 5A rating for tourist attractions, and in 2013 was dubbed “one of China’s top 10 most charming wetland parks”.

In the film
If You Are the One 《非诚勿扰》(2008)
Director Feng Xiaogang
Starring Ge You, Shu Qi, Fan Wei, Alex Fong

Qin Fen (played by Ge You), in his late forties, returns to China after spending many years abroad. He did not obtain a degree while abroad, but he is skilled at persuading people. Qin becomes a multimillionaire after selling an “innovative invention” to an angel investor (played by Fan Wei), and with his new fortune, he decides to end his bachelor life, advertising online for potential marriage partners, to apply only “if you are the one”, that is, sincere.

Qin meets Liang Xiaoxiao (played by Shu Qi) on a blind date, and finds himself drawn to her sophisticated beauty and melancholy temperament. But Liang has been trapped in an extramarital affair with a man (played by Alex Fong) for years who is not able to divorce his wife to marry her. Determined to end this torturing relationship, Liang asks that man out to bid farewell. She speaks her mind and tells him of her unremitting love for him on a night cruise on the lake in Xixi National Wetland Park.

The Three Natural Bridges in Wulong Karst Tourism Area draw tourists for photo ops. [Photo/IC]

Wulong Karst Tourism Area &  Curse of the Golden Flower

Wulong Karst Tourism Area, located in Chongqing’s Wulong district, has unique karst landscapes including caves, sinkholes, fractures, canyons, peaks, and alpine meadows. It is divided into three sections: the Three Natural Bridges, the Fairy Mountain, and the Furong Cave. Designated a national top level travel destination, the tourism area also impresses visitors with distinctive folk customs of the Tujia, Miao, and Mulam ethnic groups.

The Three Natural Bridges in Wulong is a rare geological wonder of typical karst landforms and is home to three magnificent natural limestone arch bridges, namely the Tianlong Bridge, the Qinglong Bridge, and the Heilong Bridge. The height, width, and span of the three bridges are over 150 meters, 200 meters, and 300 meters respectively. They span the Yangshuihe Canyon in parallel and connect the mountains on both sides, forming an eccentric landscape of “three bridges sandwiched by two pits”.

In the film
Curse of the Golden Flower  (2006)《满城尽带黄金甲》
Director Zhang Yimou
Starring Chow Yun-fat, Gong Li, Jay Chou, Liu Ye, Qin Junjie

The film plot is based on Cao Yu’s 1934 stage play Thunderstorm, but is set in an imperial court in ancient China.

The story takes place during the 10th century. A power struggle arises in the imperial family. Decades earlier, the emperor (played by Chow Yun-fat) murdered his first wife after she helped him to rise from a low military rank. On finding their son, Yuanxiang (played by Liu Ye), the crown prince, is having an affair with the incumbent empress (played by Gong Li), he surreptitiously poisons her with herb soup on the pretext of improving her health; it eventually drives her insane.

Smoldering hatred towards her husband, the empress is plotting a court coup with her son Yuanjie (played by Jay Chou). Meanwhile, the emperor discovers that his former wife is still alive and has married the imperial doctor and given birth to a daughter. He sends killers to her home at dusk.

The film has a tragic ending. The family of the imperial doctor are killed, the emperor ruthlessly crushes the revolt, Yuanjie commits suicide, and the empress goes insane.

The scene that depicts dozens of black-clad killers carrying crescent daggers and jumping from all sides of the cliff into the doctor's house was shot at Three Natural Bridges at Wulong Karst Tourism Area.

A screenshot from the film The Knot [Photo/Douban]

Yunshuiyao Ancient Town &  The Knot

Situated in Nanjing county, Zhangzhou, East China’s Fujian province, Yunshuiyao (original name Changjiao) Ancient Town has a long history and is one of the scenic spots of the world heritage site, the Fujian Tulou. There is a magnificent banyan tree group in the town consisting of 13 banyan trees, some of which are thousands of years old, including the province’s biggest banyan tree.

Yunshuiyao Ancient Town is renowned for its unique tulou clusters at the foot of the mountain. Fifty-three of these earthen buildings,which were first constructed in the mid Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), are still standing today and are in different shapes and styles. The town is also home to stilted buildings, bamboo pole buildings and mansion-style earthen buildings. In addition to being a world cultural heritage, the town is home to the Hegui Building, which is built on marshland and is called “the oddest structure in the world”, and the Huaiyuan Building, which is an exquisite and well-preserved double-ring earthen building.

In the film
The Knot 《云水谣》(2006)
Director Yin Li
Starring Chen Kun, Li Bingbing,Vivian Hsu

The story starts in Taipei in the 1940s. Chen Qiushui (played by Chen Kun), a poor medical student at National Taiwan University, works as an English tutor in his spare time, teaching a boy from a wealthy household. He meets the boy’s elder sister Wang Biyun (played by Vivian Hsu) during his tutorage, and they fall in love. But Biyun’s mother, upon discovering their relationship, holds a dim view of their future and dismisses Qiushui on an excuse. Qiushui returns to his hometown in the countryside and finds a niche in a local granary. Biyun takes up the opportunity of an outdoor painting camp to travel all the way down to the village to find him. The lovelorn pair meet in the village under a century-old banyan tree in Yunshuiyao Ancient Town.They spend a happy time there before Qiushui is forced to leave Taiwan. Biyun waits for him for her whole life but they never reunite.

An autumn view of Wtown in Beijing [Photo/VCG]

Wtown &  Hidden Man

Adjacent to the Yuanyang Lake Reservoir and lying at the foot of the Simatai Great Wall, Wtown in Beijing’s Miyun district highlights North China’s history and culture and is an international tourist destination for sightseeing, holidays, business meetings, and creative cultural events. The town is home to elegant and magnificent quadrangle buildings, and features an architectural style of the Republic of China period (1912-1949). It occupies 430,000 square meters.

With excellent weather conditions and clean and fresh air, Wtown showcases stunning evening scenery under starry skies, and attracts an increasing number of tourists, shutterbugs, and foodies.

In the film
Hidden Man 《邪不压正》(2018)
Director Jiang Wen
Starring Eddie Peng, Liao Fan, Jiang Wen, Zhou Yun, Xu Qing

During the Warlord years (1912-1927) in Beijing, Li Tianran (played by Eddie Peng) witnesses his senior Zhu Qianlong (played by Liao Fan), in collusion with Japanese spy Nemoto Ichiro (played by Kenya Sawada), kill his master and his family. Li is the only survivor of the slaughter, and is sent abroad to study medicine. He becomes a spy after being saved by an American doctor named Wallace Hendler (played by Andy Friend).

When he returns to China in 1937, he is determined to get revenge on the family traitor and the Japanese people, but at the same time finds himself caught up in a high-stakes game of intrigue, love, and treachery. As the conflict between China and Japan escalates and the strain mounts, Li Tianran completes his mission and exacts his revenge.

The scenes of Li Tianran and his foster father Wallace Hendler riding horses to the Simatai Great Wall and Li riding a bicycle on green-tiled rooftops were shot in Wtown.

The Great Bamboo Sea of China in Anji county, Huzhou, East China’s Zhejiang province [Photo/VCG]

Great Bamboo Sea of China &  Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

The Great Bamboo Sea of China, commonly known as the Anji Bamboo Sea, is a national 4A-level tourism attraction dominated by Moso bamboo forests located in Anji county, Huzhou, East China’s Zhejiang province. It has been recognized as the largest ecological leisure and tourism area featuring bamboo culture in southeastern China, as well as the most renowned demonstration base for Moso bamboo in Zhejiang province.

Moso bamboo grows all over the mountains in the scenic area, creating a magnificent landscape. The largest bamboo stalk, which has been exhibited at the National Agricultural Exhibition Center, has a diameter of 17 centimeters, with most stalks having a diameter of more than 10 cm.

In the film
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon  《卧虎藏龙》(2000)
Director Ang Lee
Starring Chow Yun-fat, Zhang Ziyi, Chang Chen, Michelle Yeoh

The film tells the story of the swordsman Li Mubai (played by Chow Yun-fat), who, planning to withdraw from his circle of martial arts practitioners, entrusts his fabled 400-year-old sword “Green Destiny” to his confidante Yu Shu Lien (played by Michelle Yeoh) to take to the capital city as a gift to the collection of the imperial prince Sir Te (played by Sihung Lung). However, Li Mubai’s departure elicits feelings of gratitude or resentment in the circle of swordsmen.

As a martial arts action film, there are many battle scenes. The most impressive battle scene of Jen Yu (played by Zhang Ziyi) and Li Mubai flying back and forth amid bamboo trees was filmed in the Great Bamboo Sea of China.

Kaiping Diaolou Cultural Tourism Area in South China's Guangdong province [Photo/VCG]

Kaiping Diaolou Cultural Tourism Area &  Let The Bullets Fly

Located to the southwest of the Pearl River Delta in South China's Guangdong province, the Kaiping Diaolou Cultural Tourism Area is a well-known scenic spot that is preserved on the site of the historical multi-storey folk residence. It combines overseas Chinese culture, gardening art, and Chinese and Western architecture. It also serves as a base for scientific education.

The classic Liyuan Garden, the diaolou (a multi-storey folk residence) complex in Zili village, and the ancient village of Majianglong compose this national 5A-level tourist attraction.

The magnificent and distinctive gardens, traditional and simple folk dwellings, and the diaolou complex fused with Chinese and Western architectural forms are wonderfully integrated with the surrounding mountains and rivers, ponds, farms, and rice paddies in the tourism area.

With a long history and profound cultural resources, Kaiping Diaolou was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in June 2007.

In the film
Let The Bullets Fly  《让子弹飞》（2010）
Director Jiang Wen
Starring Chow Yun-fat, Ge You, Jiang Wen, Carina Lau

As the story of the action comedy film was set during the Warlord Era (1912-1927), when Chinese and Western cultures blended, the most beautiful diaolou in the Zili village of Kaiping was selected as the majestic mansion of local mobster boss Master Huang (played by Chow Yun-fat) —Goose Town.

In the film, Zhang Mazi (played by Jiang Wen) disguises himself as Ma Bangde (played by Ge You) to assume the position of county governor and go to Goose Town. At Goose Town, Zhang's appointment is opposed by Huang. Because of Huang’s imperiousness, Zhang abandons his efforts to assist local poor people and vows to kill Huang. Ultimately, under the leadership of Zhang, the residents of Goose Town storm Huang’s mansion with weapons, and Huang commits suicide.

The Cliff Heaven Pool in Yalong Bay Tropical Paradise Forest Park in South China’s Hainan province [Photo/IC]

Yalong Bay Tropical Paradise Forest Park &  If You Are The One II

Situated 25 kilometers to the southeast of Sanya in South China’s Hainan province, Yalong Bay Tropical Paradise Forest Park is a coastal mountain attraction for ecological sightseeing. It is tucked away in the Yalong Bay Tropical Paradise Forest Tourist Area along with the Bird’s Nest Resort.

The park is home to a dozen mountains, more than 1,500 species of tropical plants, over 190 species of wild animals, 210 villas, and an orchid valley.

With abundant tourism resources, the park has evolved into a world-class ecological tourist resort that combines hiking expeditions, outdoor training, leisure and sightseeing, scientific popularization education, and folk culture.

In the film
If You Are The One II  《非诚勿扰2》（2010）
Director Feng Xiaogang
Starring Ge You, Shu Qi, Sun Honglei

If You Are The One II is the sequel to the 2008 film If You Are the One. Following a trial marriage, Qin Fen (played by Ge You) and Xiaoxiao (played by Shu Qi) go to the Yalong Bay Tropical Paradise Forest Park in Sanya to look for the perfect honeymoon spot. But when Xiaoxiao gets drunk and tells Qin that she’s not that into him although she has made a lot of efforts, Qin returns to Beijing and becomes a TV host. Later, they meet again at a rehearsal for the funeral of Qin’s friend Li Xiangshan (played by Sun Honglei), who is suffering from terminal cancer. Xiaoxiao and Qin share a lot of sentiments, and they get together again.

The Main Hall of the Fengguo Temple in Yixian county, Jinzhou, Northeast China’s Liaoning province [Photo/VCG]

Fengguo Temple &  The Grandmaster

Located in Yixian county, Jinzhou, Northeast China’s Liaoning province, the Fengguo Temple is a Buddhist temple established in 1020, and covering a total area of 60,000 square meters. It is one of only three Liao Dynasty (916-1125) temples still in existence in China.

The Main Hall of the Fengguo Temple is the Buddha hall believed to be one of the largest in the world in ancient times. It is home to the world’s oldest and largest clay sculptures of painted Buddha statues. It marked the greatest achievement of Buddhist architecture during the Liao Dynasty, representing the pinnacle of Chinese architecture between the 11th and 12th century.

The Fengguo Temple was designated as a national foremost protected cultural heritage site in 1961 and a 4A-level tourist attraction in 2009.

In the Film
The Grandmaster 《一代宗师》(2013)
Director Wong Kar Wai
Starring Zhang Ziyi, Tony Chiu-Wai Leung, Zhang Jin

In the Chinese action film, Gong Er (played by Zhang Ziyi) vows to get revenge on those who killed his father, a renowned kung fu master in northern China in the early 20th century. In search of spiritual guidance, she visits the Fengguo Temple to seek advice from the Buddha. She finally succeeded in defeating the family enemy, but at the huge cost of her health and marriage.