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ETtoday News Cloud Home Movies/Dramas Lifestyle Scam Alert Society AI Tech 3C Pets Politics Finance International China Sports Travel Health Novelty Boba Cheyun Real Estate Games Avoid AI Short Drama Impact! Hengdian Breaks New Ground Again - Experience 'Paying to Be an Empress Dowager' by Acting in Dramas 2026/09/28 17:15 ▲ Hengdian World Studios launched a "real short drama" experience, which was popular among tourists during the summer. (Photo/Reprinted from Nanfeng Chuang) ▲ Hengdian World Studios launched a "real short drama" experience, which was popular among tourists during the summer. (Photo/Reprinted from Nanfeng Chuang, same below) By Wei Youde / Comprehensive Amidst the prevalence of AI-generated short dramas, Hengdian World Studios, once the epitome of live-action filmmaking, faces a significant commercial crisis. However, Hengdian World Studios launched a "real short drama" filming experience for individual tourists during the summer of 2026. For just 388 yuan (RMB, same below), participants can "fully invest" and become the protagonist of a short drama, with directors, makeup artists, and post-production all handled. This initiative aims to "break the mold" and find new business opportunities. While many young people are eager to try acting, it's the middle-aged and elderly women who want to be "Empresses" or "Empress Dowagers" who were among the first to step onto the set. According to Nanfeng Chuang, in early August, Hengdian World Studios launched the real short drama filming experience for individual tourists. This experience, initially a trial by a micro-film team of dozens, has, through social media, attracted over 2,000 participants by early September. The topic "I'm acting in Hengdian" has garnered over 350 million views.