On July 12th, just 21 days after it was released, the movie Lost in the Stars had made over 3.2 billion RMB (446 million USD) at the box office. The scenery depicted in the movie, such as the Hainan lighthouse, beach, yacht club and more, left the audience with a deep impression of the beauty of the province.

Recently, Hainan has frequently served as filming location for film and television works, allowing audiences to view different parts of the island and helping to develop the area's tourism and film industries.

The Shiling Film and Television Base in Baoting. (Photo: Yuan Chen / Hainan Daily)

Movies are having a positive effect on the tourism industry

The popular movie Lost in the Stars was entirely shot in Hainan, and has led to a boom in the tourism market. The locations depicted in the film, including the Clearwater Bay lighthouse in Lingshui, the coastal highway in Riyue Bay, Wanning, and the Shiling Film and Television Base in Baoting have all attracted movie goers to visit in person. Some fans even came to see the stars of the sea at Ocean Paradise in Lingshui.

The coastal highway in Riyue Bay, Wanning. (Photo: Yuan Chen / Hainan Daily)

Visiting beautiful places from movie screens has become popular with travelers.

Zheng Jie, from Jiangsu Province in eastern China traveled to Hainan this summer. She and her family visited the coastal area in Sanya that was featured in The Meg, experienced the lifestyle of Yearning For Life in Qizi (Chess) Bay, Changjiang, tasted the same Dongshan Mutton with coconut milk as in Chef Nic (a Chinese cooking show), and even checked out the rainforests of the movie Charging Out Amazon in Jianfengling National Forest Park.

Bali Village in Xinglong, Wanning. (Photo: Yuan Chen / Hainan Daily)

From natural landscapes to human connections

With a pleasant climate and beautiful scenery, Hainan has long been known as a “natural film studio” deeply loved by filmmakers. A 2018 Sino-US co-production, the Hollywood film The Meg, brought the beautiful scenery of Sanya, Hainan to an international audience.

Associate professor Wang Rong from Hainan University noticed that the image of Hainan in film and television works is gradually changing. “Previously, the main landscapes of Hainan depicted on screen showed coconut trees, beaches, ocean scenes, and the tropical forest. However, recently, the urban and country life in Hainan and scenes depicting the local people have appeared.” Wang said.

For example, the TV series Fa Zui (which means Punishment) featured many urban scenes from Haikou, and the TV show Summer Surf Shop made Riyue Bay in Wanning famous. “These filming locations are spread out across Hainan, breaking the audience’s stereotypes, and allowing them to experience the natural beauty and unique customs of Hainan.” Wang said.

A traveler in Clearwater Bay, Lingshui. (Photo: Wang Chenglong / Hainan Daily)

Deeply exploring the culture of Hainan

In recent years, as cultural tourism integration and immersive cultural tourism have developed, the Hainan government has introduced many policies supporting the creation and production of screen projects, bringing more and more filmmakers to choose Hainan as a filming location, and promoting the development of Hainan's film and television industry. The Hainan Island International Film Festival has also played a role in promoting film production.

An aerial view of the Clearwater Bay lighthouse in Lingshui. (Photo: Wang Chenglong / Hainan Daily)

Zhang Huixin, deputy dean of the Nanhai Academy of the Arts and Technology at the Haikou University of Economics, mentioned “the 9 development pattern of combining film and television with tourism” allows the deep exploration of culture. Hainan should have its own cultural IPs, such as intangible culture, Dongpo culture, the Beili Ancient Village in Dongfang, Zahan Village in Qiongzhong, and other villages with unique local features. In the future, regional features should be worked into film and television content with cultural connotations. Travel should be promoted through the film promotion process, and tourism products should be developed based on unique film and television themes.”