China Western Film Studio

China Western Film Studio is one of the "Chinawoods" where over 200 films were shot. It features simplicity, primitiveness, ruggedness, and wildness, and has become the best outdoor shooting base for films and TV series based on West China and China history.

Located 35 kilometers (22 miles) west of Yinchuan city in Ningxia, it was formerly the site of Zhenbeibu frontier castle in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD) to defend against northern tribes. When film crews come here to shoot films, which began in the 1980s, they are asked to preserve the settings after finishing their shoot. In return, they don't need to pay site use fees. Gradually, more and more settings have been preserved and the place has developed into today's China Western Film Studio.

China Western Film Studio

China Western Film Studio

Walking in the area, visitors can experience life styles, production modes and entertainment ways of ancient Chinese in person, which feels like going back to ancient China. There are mainly three parts in China Western Film Studio, Qing Dynasty Town, Ming Dynasty Town and Yinchuan Old Street.
 

Qing Dynasty Town is in the north of the scenic area. It is full of various stores which are in retro styles. Besides, old buildings are attractive as well. Brick and stone carvings on those buildings show exquisite arts of carving, which is a visual feast for visitors.
 

Ming Dynasty Town in the south is well-known for Moon Gate, named so as the gate is as round as a full moon. Although the gate is just piled up by several loess bricks, it presents the beauty of ruggedness.
 

In the east, there is Yinchuan Old Street, which is used to restore old buildings of Yinchuan. Here, visitors can join in entertainment activities played by Chinese children, such as playing slingshots and shooting balls. Walking along the street, visitors can also learn the history of Yinchuan.
 

Except for watching historical scenes, folk performances are optimal choices as well. One of the most interesting ones is Shadow puppetry, a traditional Chinese folk craft performance. Through shadow puppetry, visitors can also learn legendary stories about Chinese history. Furthermore, visitors can take part in an ancient Chinese wedding ceremony.

Folk Performances inside the Studio

Throwing the embroidered ball

 People live in the area are mostly Hui people, a Muslim ethnic group. During your visit here, you should respect local customs and do not break the taboos.
 During your visit, you can wear clothes left in the settings to take part in cosplay and use props to perform an imitation show, which can easily take you to scenes of movies. Your performance will be shot and made into short films and it gives you a real and unforgettable experience of being a star.
 Usually from 21st September to 7th October, China Western Film Studio launches a night visit project from 19:00 to 22:00 when the area is decorated with colorful lights and diverse folk shows are performed. In addition, you can even see scenes of old Shanghai and encounter old-fashioned rickshaws in the street. The ticket price of a night visit is CNY 100.
 1. Take a special bus line from Nanmen Square to the studio directly.
2. From Apr. 21 to Oct. 20, visitors can take Tourist Bus Line 3 (Y3) at 9:00am from Xinyue Square to the studio.
 

Entrance Fee	CNY 80; Free for children under 1.2m (3.9 feet).
Opening Hours	Apr. 15 - Oct. 15: 8:00 - 18:00 Oct. 16 - Apr. 14: 8:00 - 17:30

 Further reading
Hengdian World Studios