In recent years, a film and television work has set a city on fire, or allowed new cultural characteristics of an already familiar city to be discovered. This phenomenon often happens. Some cities have gone from being little-known to becoming "pilgrimage destinations" in the hearts of a wave of people, such as Kaili, Guizhou, because it is the hometown of director Bi Gan, a frequent visitor to the International Film Festival, and his representative works "Roadside Picnic" and "The Last of Us on Earth". The filming location of "Night" has become a tourist destination for many literary and artistic young people; some cities are already famous all over the country, and they have also brought new popularity due to film and television works. For example, Dali in Yunnan and Cangshan Erhai have always been traditional popular scenic spots, and The hit TV series "Go Where the Wind Is" in 2023 has allowed young and fresh tourists to gather in ancient villages, small courtyards, B&Bs and cafes to discover a new tourism direction in Dali that is different from traditional ones.
The most recent example of mutual blessing between film and television works and cities is undoubtedly the TV series "Flowers" directed by Wong Kar-Wai, and the colorful and still prosperous Shanghai in the play. With the finale coming on the evening of January 9, many topics of the TV series dominated the hot search list, and the popularity of IPs related to the series such as Peace Hotel, Yellow River Road, and Spare Ribs and Rice Cake also continued to rise. This internationally renowned director, who was born in Shanghai and left Shanghai for Hong Kong in the 1960s, used the TV series "Flowers" to present the prosperous scene of Shanghai in his mind in the 1990s. Even though the Shanghai style displayed once caused controversy, it still This does not prevent the Yellow River Road, which was once a prosperous place and is now increasingly depressed, from becoming famous overnight across the country and becoming a new tourist check-in point. The Shanghai snack pork ribs rice cake, which witnessed the "revolutionary friendship" between the protagonists Mr. Bao and Ms. Wang in the play, was a hot seller both offline and online at the same time, and the search volume on the takeaway platform soared by 937%. Even Shanghai, which is already a popular tourist destination, is also rising in popularity. As of January 5, Shanghai’s search popularity on travel online platforms has increased by more than 20% month-on-month. The popularity of
film and television works extends to cities, and the ability to "connect with others" is needed. As a city with the strongest commercial atmosphere, Shanghai’s merchants have a natural keen sense. The Peace Hotel, which represents a status symbol and appears many times in the drama, not only became the venue for the premiere of the TV series, but also launched a customized meal for two for "Flowers" and a rooftop view that was conducive to "filming" during the broadcast of the series. Bit. Moss Shengyuan Restaurant is located at the same location from Huanghe Road to Zhenyuan Hotel in the drama. A few days ago, a Cadillac DeVey classic car of the same model as in the drama was parked for tourists to check in. Although I don’t know who made it, in short, the restaurant, Car companies and tourists alike are happy. Shanghai has undoubtedly set a classic example of how
can take on the popularity, but this kind of instinctive reaction may require a little deliberate effort in other cities.
A film and television work can ignite a city. The popularity must be sustained, and it needs to have a specific foothold. It can be a store, an alley, or a delicious food. Let's take Jiangmen, Guangdong, as an example. The hit drama "Kurst" pushed the popularity of this small southern town to the highest point. A large number of drama fans came to Jiangmen to look for traces of Jinghai City in the drama. The "Qiangsheng PHS" opened by Gao Qiqiang in the play, the old street arcade, Kaiping Diaolou, etc. have attracted many tourists to enjoy the immersive "wild ride". Analysis by Narada Big Data Research Institute found that during the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, Jiangmen received 2.5493 million tourists and generated tourism revenue of more than 1.4 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 34.5% and 29.5% respectively.
In fact, it is becoming more and more common around the world for a city to become popular due to a film and television work. If the impact of the work is long-lasting, the long-tail effect will continue to attract audiences. For example, the Hobbit Village in New Zealand was filmed in the movie "Lord of the Rings", the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles was filmed in the movie "La La Land", and Dubrovnik in Croatia was filmed in King's Landing in the American TV series "Game of Thrones" , these locations are not only of special significance in film and television works, but the "check-in points" themselves are also full of characteristics, and are even the motivation for many movie fans and drama fans to choose this city as a tourist destination.
Whether a film and television work can ignite a city depends on the sustainability of the popularity and the ability to sustain the popularity. Whether Dongguan can become the next hot city remains to be seen.
