BEIJING – Beijing is looking to tap into the lucrative “set-jetting” trend that has been gaining traction around the world in recent years.

Driven by the global success of big-budget blockbuster productions such as Game Of Thrones (2011 to 2019) and The White Lotus (2021 to present), tourists are flocking to take holidays at the real-life locations where their favourite TV shows and films are set.

And, in the Chinese capital, there is no better place to follow in the footsteps of the stars than along the city’s more than seven-century-old Central Axis.

As people across China are saddling up to welcome the Year of the Horse with a nine-day holiday, on Feb 9,

in a bid to lure the

They invite tourists to re-enact iconic scenes from popular shows.

For instance, the square between the Bell and Drum Towers, once the timekeeping hub of ancient China, stretches less than 100m.

Between April 2024 and February, a total of 425 of the 1,077 recommended sights in Beijing have appeared in more than 30 films and TV dramas. Among them, the legal drama All Rise (2019 to 2023), showcasing the spirit of young professionals, features over 50 locations in downtown Beijing.