Blossoms Shanghai (繁花, Fán Huā) is a period piece about a period that is still within living memory — Shanghai in the late 1980s and early 1990s — which makes its Blossoms Shanghai filming locations unusually complicated. Some are real and still standing. Some were rebuilt on a backlot because the originals are gone. And a few were shot in places that only resemble 1990s Shanghai from very specific angles.
Knowing the difference is the whole point of this guide.
The Short Answer: Blossoms Shanghai was filmed both on location in real Shanghai streets (notably around the old French Concession, the Bund and the Huangpu riverfront) and at Chedun Film Park (车墩影视基地), a purpose-built 1930s–90s Shanghai backlot southwest of the city. Chedun is the more fan-specific visit and is reachable by metro and bus from central Shanghai. Allow 2–3 days and it will cost you almost nothing beyond a normal Shanghai trip.
Why the Blossoms Shanghai filming locations are a different kind of pilgrimage
Most C-drama location trips send you to mountains or rebuilt imperial cities. Blossoms Shanghai sends you to a major metropolis you were probably going to visit anyway. That is a gift: the pilgrimage folds into ordinary tourism rather than competing with it.
It also means the trip is genuinely easy. Shanghai has the best public transport in China, near-universal English signage on the metro, and every practical problem already solved. If you can navigate London or New York, you can navigate this.
Blossoms Shanghai filming locations at a glance
| Location | Where | What was filmed | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chedun Film Park (车墩影视基地) | Songjiang, Shanghai | The 1990s street sets, period interiors | Easy — metro + bus |
| The Bund (外滩) | Huangpu, Shanghai | Riverfront establishing shots | Easy — metro |
| Former French Concession | Xuhui/Huangpu | Street-level sequences, the tree-lined lanes | Easy — walkable |
| Huanghe Road (黄河路) | Huangpu, Shanghai | The restaurant district material | Easy — metro |
| Suzhou Creek waterfront | Various | Riverside scenes | Easy — walkable |
Chedun Film Park: the 1990s Shanghai backlot
Chedun Film Park, in Songjiang district, is the closest thing to a dedicated Blossoms Shanghai attraction. Built to reproduce 1930s Shanghai and since used for material set well into the 1990s, it supplies the period streetscape that would otherwise have been impossible — most of the real 1990s city has been redeveloped out of existence.
The sets are walkable, and the experience is oddly affecting: you are standing in a reproduction of a city that real people still remember. For fans of the show, this is the one location that is unambiguously “the show.”
Getting there: Chedun is reachable by metro to Songjiang plus a local bus or short taxi, or by a direct bus from central Shanghai. It takes about 90 minutes door to door from downtown. Detailed routing is in our Shanghai guide.
The Bund, Huanghe Road and the old city
The real Shanghai locations do a different job. The Bund and the Huangpu riverfront supply the wide establishing shots; Huanghe Road, the actual restaurant district that gives the show much of its texture, is still a working street; and the former French Concession lanes — plane trees, low walls, shuttered windows — are where the show’s quieter sequences live.
None of these require special access. Walk them.
Practical note: Huanghe Road is a functioning commercial street, not a set. Go for the food and the atmosphere rather than for any specific filming marker.
Suggested 3-day Blossoms Shanghai itinerary
The 3-day Blossoms Shanghai route, day by day
Chedun is about 90 minutes from downtown — budget the whole of Day 2 for it.
Day 1 — Central Shanghai. The Bund in the morning, Huanghe Road for lunch, the French Concession in the afternoon and evening.
Day 2 — Chedun Film Park. Full day. Go early; the park is large and the period streets are the point.
Day 3 — Suzhou Creek and the northern riverfront. Walk the creek, then any remaining central locations, and leave the evening free.
How much it actually costs
| Item | Typical cost (CNY) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chedun Film Park entry | ~80–100 | Sometimes higher during special events |
| Shanghai metro | 3–7 per trip | Buy a transport card or use Alipay |
| Central Shanghai hotel | 400–900/night | The main cost of this trip |
| Meals | 60–200/day | Enormous range, from cheap to very expensive |
The locations themselves cost almost nothing. This trip’s cost is the cost of being in Shanghai, which you were probably going to pay anyway.
For the per-person, per-stop version — metro tiers, the Chedun ticket bands and what meals really run — see the cost table on the Shanghai guide.
Common questions
Can I visit the Blossoms Shanghai sets?
Chedun Film Park is open to the public and its period streets are walkable. It is a working studio, so individual buildings may occasionally be closed for active productions — this is normal and usually affects only one area at a time.
Is Chedun worth a full day?
Yes, if you are a fan of the show specifically. If you are only mildly interested, a half-day is enough and you can combine it with Songjiang’s other sights.
Do I need a tour?
No. Shanghai is the easiest city in China for independent travel, and Chedun is reachable by public transport. A tour adds little here.
What is the best time of year?
October to November and March to May. Shanghai summers are hot and very humid; winters are cold and damp, though the city is perfectly visitable year-round given how much of this itinerary is indoors or urban.
Where should I stay?
Downtown, near the Bund or in the former French Concession. You want to be within walking distance of the central locations and within easy metro reach of the line out to Songjiang.
Your next move
Still exploring?
The other modern dramas shot in real cities, from Dali to Ningbo.
Worried about the practical stuff?
Visas, payment, trains and the apps you’ll need before you land — the four things you cannot work out on the ground. Each guide is dated and sourced.
Ready to go?
All of it is Shanghai. The city guide covers how to get around, what a day costs and when to go.
Last verified
Sources: Shanghai Municipal Government - official visitor information · Shanghai Film Park (Chedun) - operator information (tickets, hours)
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