Detailed Introduction to Hengdian World Studios Basic Overview Hengdian World Studios, often dubbed China’s Hollywood, is the world’s largest comprehensive film and television shooting base and a national AAAAA-level scenic area located in Hengdian Town, Dongyang City, Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, China. Invested and developed by Hengdian Group, the project broke ground in 1996, initially constructing Guangzhou Street specially for the shooting of the classic movie The Opium War. Covering a total area of over 3,300 hectares, it has evolved from a single shooting location into a full industrial cluster integrating film production, cultural tourism, immersive experience and supporting services after decades of development. Core Theme Shooting Scenic Zones It owns more than 30 landmark shooting bases spanning 5,000 years of Chinese history, recreating architectural styles from ancient dynasties to modern metropolises. The most famous core parks are listed below: 1. The Palace of Emperor Qin (Qin Palace) Built in 1997 based on Xianyang Palace of the Qin Dynasty for director Chen Kaige’s film The Emperor and the Assassin. Grand and majestic, it is a prime venue for historical blockbusters. Hit works filmed here include Hero, A Step into the Past, Painted Skin and Joy of Life. 2. Ming and Qing Palatial Garden (Ming & Qing Palace) A scaled replica of Beijing’s Forbidden City at a ratio close to 1:1. It is known as the cradle of Chinese imperial palace-themed TV dramas, where numerous palace harem series are produced. 3. Qingming Shanghe Tu Park Restores the prosperous capital Bianjing of the Northern Song Dynasty depicted in the famous painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival. It is widely used for Song-dynasty costume dramas and variety shows like Keep Running. 4. Guangzhou Street · Hong Kong Street Recreates the streetscape of Guangzhou and Hong Kong from the late Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China era.

Da Tiehua (Iron Flower) 1. Why Da Tiehua is National Intangible Cultural Heritage Da Tiehua, literally "striking molten iron into flowers", was inscribed on China’s National Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2008. There are three core reasons for its heritage value: First, it boasts a millennium-long folk cultural origin. It emerged in the Northern Song Dynasty, originating from ancient blacksmiths’ rituals to worship the God of Fire and ancestors. For hundreds of years, it has been an essential part of temple fairs, Spring Festival and harvest ceremonies, carrying people’s prayers for favorable weather, bumper harvests and family safety. Second, it contains unique traditional craftsmanship and ancient wisdom. The performance requires extreme control of high-temperature molten iron, mature furnace smelting skills, and coordinated physical techniques passed down orally by craftsmen. No modern machine can fully replicate its hand-operated, thrilling performance logic. Third, it represents distinctive Chinese folk aesthetics. Unlike chemical fireworks, it uses only iron as raw material to create golden fire waterfalls. It combines courage, strength and visual grandeur, forming a one-of-a-kind fire art deeply rooted in Yellow River Basin folk culture. 2. How Iron Flowers Are Formed (Scientific & Operational Principle) Step 1: Melt iron at ultra-high temperature Craftsmen heat iron blocks in a coke furnace up to 1600°C, far higher than iron’s melting point of 1538°C, turning solid iron into glowing liquid molten iron. They use special ladles made of soft willow wood, which resists instant burning from high heat. Step 2: Strike molten iron hard to split droplets Performers carry two wooden sticks: one loaded with molten iron, the other empty. They dash to an open space and slam the empty stick violently against the ladle stick. The powerful impact tears the liquid iron into countless tiny droplets. Step 3: Oxidation & thermal radiation create bright sparks