East China city emerges as hot spot for South Korean filmmakers, golfers

NANJING — South Korean director Choi Sik-min, known for his screenplay work on popular TV series, has found a favored filming location: the city of Yancheng in East China's Jiangsu province.

After filming his first short production The Drama Club in Yancheng, Choi has gone on to shoot over 20 collaborative short films there, all are coproduced by China and Republic of Korea, including The Forbidden Master, which has gained over 370 million views online to date.

Choi's favorite filming spot in the city is China-ROK International Street, also known as Dongdaemun KK-PARK, located in the Yancheng Economic and Technological Development Zone.

Inspired by the famed Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, the block in Yancheng blends streamlined modern design with traditional elements of Korean houses, creating a South Korean-style international entertainment district that integrates amusement and commerce.

Since opening in 2022, the block has positioned itself as a key South Korean cultural landmark in the Yangtze River Delta region, according to Dong Zhengxia, chairman of Jiangsu Century New City Cultural Tourism Development Company.

Its South Korean characteristics and diverse business models, including themed hotels, amusement parks, theaters and restaurants, offer a wide range of filming locations for film crews. Low costs and high efficiency of ready-made filming environments are major draws for South Korean filmmakers, Dong says.

"The filming and labor costs in the ROK are relatively high, almost three times those here," Dong explains.

Long before the cameras roll each day, golf carts are already streaking across Yancheng's emerald fairways. Ryu Ku-keun, president of Yancheng's South Korean chamber of commerce, quipped that in ROK, the three best-known Chinese destinations are Zhangjiajie (in Hunan province), Shanghai and Yancheng.

"Zhangjiajie is for sightseeing, Shanghai is for shopping, and Yancheng is where South Korean golfers come to swing," Ryu says.

Fueled by a booming Sino-South Korean travel scene, the city's pristine golf courses and frequent flights have turned it into a golfer's paradise. Sheyang Island Golf Club now tops South Korean social-media rankings and is a prime destination for weekend golfers visiting China.

With a population of about 50 million, the ROK counts roughly 5 million golf enthusiasts, making the sport popular almost nationwide, Ryu says.

Since last April, Sheyang Island Golf Club has been partnering with a Chinese travel agency to roll out an all-inclusive package tour that includes round-trip flights and hotel accommodation. They are now promoting the Yancheng golf tours in the ROK market.

In November 2024, China implemented a 30-day visa-free entry policy for ROK citizens. Yancheng seized the opportunity, working to create a South Korean wave in inbound tourism.

Flights from Seoul to Yancheng operate every Tuesday and Saturday, taking just two hours. A day of golf in Yancheng costs about 400 yuan ($56) per person, including lunch. One night in a star-rated hotel in Sheyang county costs 200-300 yuan, and the round-trip airfare is about 3,000 yuan, Ryu says.

"All these costs add up to less than half of the golfing costs back in the ROK," he says. However, most people visit Yancheng only for playing golf, not for sightseeing, he says, which he finds regrettable.

Ryu plans to take matters into his own hands. "I have already got in touch with ROK travel agencies and am working to attract visitors. In addition to golf, I will arrange trips to Yancheng's scenic spots."

Since a China-ROK industrial park opened in Yancheng in 2017, the city is now a barometer of bilateral cooperation in China's Yangtze River Delta.

To date, some 1,000 ROK firms have set up shop in Yancheng, bringing in more than $13 billion dollars in investment. A standout project is SK On's battery mega-factory, which has been Jiangsu's largest foreign investment project in recent years.

More than 10,000 ROK nationals now live and work in Yancheng. For them, the city has been a home away from home, Ryu says.

Xinhua