Zhenbeibu Western Film Studio
镇北堡西部影城 · Xixia District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
A loess fortress town where a Ming border fort and a Qing replacement fort stand side by side, north and south; the writer Zhang Xianliang turned it into a film base, more than a hundred films and TV productions such as Red Sorghum and A Chinese Odyssey were shot here, and many of their sets survive.
Know before you go
- Commenting casually on ethnic or religious topics
- climbing or defacing the fort walls
- climbing on or damaging film props
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Stories & people
Stories & people
History
Herdsman and the birth of the studio
From the 1980s, film crews began coming to the derelict fort of Zhenbeibu to shoot. In 1982 Xie Jin filmed Herdsman here, adapted from Zhang Xianliang's novel Soul and Flesh. In 1993 Zhang Xianliang formally founded Zhenbeibu Western Film Studio, and the old border fort became a film base.
Legend
The Fortune Gate of the Qing City
The second gate of the Qing City is known in the film world as the "Fortune Gate". It is said that several productions shot in front of this gate became great successes, and so the name spread. Today visitors like to pass under it for a bit of good luck.
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
Zhenbeibu Western Film Studio is in Zhenbeibu, Xixia District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, about 35 km west of Yinchuan at the eastern foot of the Helan Mountains. The park has three parts, the Ming City, the Qing City and Old Yinchuan Street, and film sets such as the rammed-loess fort walls, the Moon Gate, the wine workshop and the Dragon Gate Inn have been kept as they were. Zhenbeibu began as a border fort built in the Hongzhi reign of the Ming dynasty. After a great earthquake in Ningxia destroyed it early in the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty, the Qing court built a new fort nearby, leaving two forts side by side: the Ming City to the south and the Qing City to the north. On 21 September 1993 the writer Zhang Xianliang founded Zhenbeibu Western Film Studio here, and in 2011 the park was rated a national 5A-level scenic area. Old Yinchuan Street was newly built in 2012 to recreate the lanes and shops of old Yinchuan.
Local customs
- Walk through the Ming City to see the Moon Gate and the wine workshop, through the Qing City to see the barbican and the Fortune Gate, and along Old Yinchuan Street to see the streetscape of old Yinchuan
- take photos in front of the preserved film sets and watch the folk and film-themed performances in the park.
Etiquette & taboos
Etiquette & taboos
Don’t DON'T
- Commenting casually on ethnic or religious topics
- climbing or defacing the fort walls
- climbing on or damaging film props
Locals appreciate DO
- Respect halal dietary customs in halal restaurants and Hui neighbourhoods
- ask permission before photographing local residents
- take care of the fort walls and film props
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- The park is large, so allow half a day
- the summer sun is strong, so bring a sun hat and drinking water
- ticket prices and performance times are as officially announced by the park.
- The park is about 35 km west of downtown Yinchuan, roughly an hour by car, and tourist shuttle lines also run from Yinchuan. May to October is the most pleasant season
- summer days are hot but the light is good for photography, while winter brings strong wind and blowing sand.
Photos
Photos
Yanxutong1215 · CC BY-SA 4.0
wanghongliu · CC BY-SA 3.0
Sources & verification notes
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