Base cinématographique de la Grande Muraille dans la nouvelle zone de Lanzhou

The Lanzhou New Area Great Wall Movie and Television Base is a film-set tourism complex in the Lanzhou New Area, designed as a multi-period backlot for film and television production and opened to the public as a sightseeing destination. The base brings together a varied collection of large-scale architectural reproductions, allowing visitors to walk through imagined versions of monuments drawn from different periods and civilisations. For international visitors, it is an unusual and visually distinctive cultural attraction at the edge of the Lanzhou metropolitan area.

The base has been developed around a programme of full-scale architectural replicas. Among the completed structures are reproductions of iconic buildings from major world civilisations, including an ancient Egyptian sphinx, a museum building in an Islamic architectural style, and a Greek temple. Alongside these are Chinese pieces, including reconstructions of major imperial buildings from a range of dynasties: a Qings-era hall of prayer for good harvests, a Ming-era hall of supreme harmony, and a Tang-era great hall. A long water-curtain gallery marks the main entrance, with flanking gatehouses and a visitor arrivals centre completing the ensemble.

The logic of the site is closer to a film backlot than to a museum or a historic site. The buildings are not original, nor are they presented as authentic reconstructions of any specific monument. Instead, they are scenery, designed to provide visually convincing backdrops for productions and to give walking visitors the experience of moving rapidly between otherwise unrelated architectural settings. The combination of Chinese and international pieces within a single complex is distinctive, and the result is one of the more surreal sightseeing experiences in the Lanzhou region.

For international visitors, the Great Wall Movie and Television Base is best treated as a half-day excursion from Lanzhou, particularly suited to travellers with an interest in film production design, in contemporary themed attractions, or in unusual architectural reproductions. Allow three to four hours for a full visit. The base is located in the Lanzhou New Area, which is some distance from central Lanzhou, and is best reached by private vehicle, organised tour, or the dedicated transport services that connect the new area to the rest of the city.