The charm of Songcheng lies in its richly detailed three-dimensional museum during the day and its dazzling time-space illusion at night, while the soul that runs through it all is the show that is hailed as "a must-see in a lifetime".
Nature's Creation – Garden Charm and Ingenious Landscaping
Although it is a man-made scenic area, Songcheng draws heavily on the art of classical Chinese gardens in its landscaping, creating an atmosphere where the scenery changes with every step.
A waterway runs through the city: Song Dynasty City cleverly incorporates flowing streams, creating a vibrant atmosphere reminiscent of a Jiangnan water town. Ancient stone arch bridges span the waterways, willows sway along the banks, and waterwheels turn slowly. Visitors can ride in awning boats, gently rocking on the water, to appreciate the pavilions and towers on both banks from a different perspective, experiencing the feeling of "boating through a painting."
The garden changes with the seasons: the plants in the park are carefully arranged. In spring, peach blossoms and cherry blossoms are in full bloom; in summer, lotus flowers reflect the sun and green trees provide shade; in autumn, osmanthus blossoms are fragrant and red leaves dot the landscape; in winter, pine and bamboo remain evergreen and wintersweet is covered in snow. These natural elements complement the antique-style architecture, softening the harshness of the artificial scenic area and adding vitality and elegance.
Humanistic craftsmanship – the ultimate in scene recreation and artistic sublimation
Every brick and every performance here is designed to create an "immersive dream" about the Song Dynasty.
An antique-style architectural complex—a three-dimensional recreation of "Along the River During the Qingming Festival": Based on the famous Song Dynasty painter Zhang Zeduan's "Along the River During the Qingming Festival," the scenic area recreates classic scenes such as city gates, streets, teahouses, taverns, gambling dens, dyeing workshops, and the Rainbow Bridge. Although the buildings are newly constructed, they strive to closely resemble the Song Dynasty style in details such as brackets, painted decorations, and doors and windows, forming a coherent streetscape. Walking through it feels like strolling through a painting.
The soul of the show – *Romance of the Song Dynasty*: This is the pinnacle of all experiences at Songcheng. The performance is divided into chapters such as *The Light of Liangzhu*, *Song Palace Banquet Dance*, *Swords and Horses*, *The Legend of Xizi*, and *Charming Hangzhou*. Utilizing advanced sound, light, and electrical technologies and stage machinery, it presents Hangzhou's thousand-year history in unexpected ways, from the Liangzhu culture to the Southern Song Dynasty's establishment as capital, Yue Fei's resistance against the Jin Dynasty, the legend of the White Snake and Xu Xian, and even the modern metropolis. The passionate performances of hundreds of actors, combined with 3D stage effects that rise from below the stage, descend above the audience, and surge from the pool, deliver an extremely stunning audiovisual experience.
Streetscapes and Regular Performances: Streets like Shijing Street and Rouge Lane are not only realistically set up, but also filled with rich "content": demonstrations of traditional crafts such as blacksmithing, embroidery, and tofu making; folk art performances such as shadow puppetry and glove puppetry; and large-scale outdoor interactive performances such as flash mobs, Miss Wang throwing her embroidered ball, and Yue Fei reviewing his troops. Visitors are not just viewers, but may also be drawn into the story and become participants.
Cultural experience projects include: Strange Street (featuring peculiar landscapes such as slanted houses, upside-down houses, and hidden houses), Haunted House (based on stories from "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio"), and the Qingming Riverside Scene Film Museum (an animated long scroll), which adds variety to the visit in a fun way.
Photography Tips:
Classic street scene shooting positions: At the Rainbow Bridge or major street intersections, shoot the layered antique-style buildings and the flow of people dressed in ancient costumes to create a sense of bustling city life.
For portrait photography that takes place in a time-traveling setting: be sure to rent a set of Song Dynasty Hanfu (traditional Han clothing) and take photos in scenes such as teahouses, taverns, and covered bridges. The integration of the person and the environment will be extremely high.
Performance photos: Photography is permitted in some scenes during the performance of "Romance of the Song Dynasty" (please follow the on-site instructions). You can capture the grand scenes and amazing moments on stage.
Nighttime lighting: Songcheng is brightly lit at night, especially the reflections on the lake and the lantern corridor, making it a great time to capture dreamy nighttime scenes.
Drone Notice: Drones are strictly prohibited from flying over the scenic area due to performances and safety reasons.
