This place is amazing and has so much to offer!From child-friendly comedy shows, dance and drama performances and warriors (fake) battling it out on (real) horses to two playgrounds and a mini zoo. Those are just a few attractions at this interesting, built on a grand-scale, family-friendly place very close to Guangzhou.

Am I a fan of massively-popular in China historical dramas? Not necessarily but I must admit that I am curious about the filming process and that includes the filming locations. Now, I have never been so into the drama that I would travel to a place, just because a film or a series I enjoyed, was filmed there (city of Jiangmen and Chickan ancient town, both near Guangzhou, are well-known filming location) BUT when I found out that this place also has many attractions for kids, I was eager to check it out for myself.

In my opinion, the information and photos available online don’t do the place justice. In fact, there is very little written about it in English. Luckily a friend recommended it to me and I’m super thankful!

Nanhai CCTV Film and TV Town seems to be one of those absolutely huge places that nobody has heard of!

Strange, considering its size and how child-friendly it is. Granted, the location is a bit out of the way (about 40min drive from Baiyun) and it is slightly run-down in places but overall I found it really impressive, well-maintained and exploring the site was genuinely enjoyable.

Good news-if you’re with a baby or a toddler, there are EVs (fit 4 people max) that you can rent and drive around the site. Bad news is that even with an EV you will still need to do a bit of walking as the vehicles can’t reach some locations and several buildings require climbing a fair amount of stairs. Of course, you could skip those if you wanted to and keep cruising along but I would encourage you to enter every building as you never know, you might just get a chance to witness the filming of a TV drama first-hand, like we did! It was so interesting to see the director consulting the actors and filming crew at work!!What an experience! Besides, you’ll get to see interiors, props and furnishings so it does feel a bit like a huge museum, even though the items are (most likely) fake.

My son does not care for TV, unless cartoons or Transformer construction videos are involved, but he did love the live shows! There are several to choose from or you could go wild (read:crazy) like we did and see them all, I will say though that the ones, which are most appealing for kids are the Water Battle show, which is pure slapstick comedy making kids laugh out loud till their bellies hurt and the Battle of Heroes, which is incredibly impressive and involves twenty to thirty ‘warriors’ with weapons and in full armour (acting as famous historical figures familiar to most Chinese) fighting with each other whilst riding horses! Add grandiose score and battle sounds and you’ve got a truly thrilling, but in no way scary, show that ends with a chance for your child to do a lap with one of the warriors, for an extra fee of course;) (NOT cheap but your child will feel exhilarated). Despite not being overly familiar with the story and not understanding much of the narration, I honestly enjoyed this show and my son was mesmerised, like any true mini Transformer/Ultraman/Avenger would be!The other shows focus on drama and dance so even though they aren’t aimed at kids, they aren’t too long and I found them very entertaining and visually stunning. Oh, apparently they also have stunt shows throughout the day but we didn’t get to see any.

The main attraction are of course the buildings/sets used in film productions. Expect emperor’s hall, a water town, a marriage hall, a room displaying the beautiful costumes used in the historical dramas, a HK/Macau street and LOTS of green areas. There is also a lake, where you can rent a boat, go karts, two large playgrounds, a VR room AND a mini zoo (which I believe is charged separately).

The entire site is designed to be family-friendly but educational and entertaining for all. A big selling point is also a massive, curved, defensive wall (The only one in China!Who cares that it’s not real, right?), which you can spot from miles away. Best bit for me? The grand buildings imitating those in the Forbidden City, my son’s highlight of the day? The battle on horses, of course!

From the few photos we had seen prior to coming to Nanhai Film and TV Town, we weren’t really sure what to expect but we were all very impressed with the site itself, had lots of fun, gained new cultural knowledge and left feeling completely satisfied. Having said that, I wouldn’t encourage you to go there during the summer as it is basically open-air and walking around the site would be death-sentence. Do yourself a favour-if you know your child is not a fan of lots of walking, get the EV.

Overall, I would recommend this place not only to those interested in Chinese history or historical dramas but anyone wanting to experience something different. I assure you, if nothing else, your child will love the live shows and kiddie stuff. This is also the perfect place to take grandparents to. I believe that this place is well worth the ticket price but do check Douyin or other apps for discounts! It is also worth noting that there are special events and performances taking place there during major holidays, e.g. when we visited they were setting up for Chinese New Year and had many fun activities planned. It wasn’t crowded at all and most of the people, who were there, were dressed in Hanfu, traditional Chinese outfits which can be rented on site and you can even have a family/individual photo shoot arranged-it seemed to be a very popular activity, fun and cheap too!Maybe next time:)

Info:

Address: Songgang Film City Avenue, Nanhai District, Shishan Town, Foshan (which is fairly close to Guangzhou).

Getting there: Self-driving/taxi as there is no metro station nearby.

Parking: on site, very cheap

Food: Several eateries on site but opted to bring a picnic with us as we know what the standard of food is like in a typical theme park. There are plenty of resting areas with tables and benches all around the site. You’ll also find a few fruit/milk tea/ fresh juice and snack shops around. There are nice Chinese restaurants within a 5 min drive.

Facilities: Public toilets were fine, there were also baby changing stations. Suitable for prams and elderly except for the few buildings which require climbing steps.

Price: 90rmb per adult, 55rmb for senior citizens (over 60), 45rmb per child or a family ticket for 198rmb(at the ticket counter)

If you have any questions, just ask in the comments:)