You may have heard of Disneyland or marine parks. But did you know that China has developed its own distinctive theme-park culture? With a rich historical heritage and centuries of dramatic stories, China offers a wealth of material for immersive entertainment. Today, the worlds of jianghu (江湖, the martial-arts underworld) and gongting (宫廷, the imperial court) may feel far removed from everyday life. Yet visitors are still willing to dress in historical costumes and step into these imagined worlds, if only for an evening. Here are seven homegrown destinations worth exploring.
1. 万岁山武侠城 (Wansui Mountain Martial Arts City)
Wuxia (武侠), the genre of martial-arts heroes and chivalry, and jianghu have long occupied a distinctive place in Chinese literature and popular culture. These stories often follow wandering heroes who travel the country guided by their own codes of honour, justice and loyalty, beyond the reach of conventional social hierarchies.
Located in Kaifeng, Henan province, Wansui Mountain Martial Arts City brings this fictional world to life through live performances and interactive characters known as NPCs (non-player characters). Visitors encounter martial-arts heroes and figures inspired by classic Chinese stories as they explore the park.
One of its best-known attractions is Wang Po’s Matchmaking (王婆说媒). Wang Po is a fictional character from Water Margin (《水浒传》), a classic novel set in the Song dynasty. At the park, performer Zhao Mei took on the role for a live matchmaking show, inviting single visitors onstage and blending traditional matchmaking with modern values. The show went viral on Douyin in 2024, drawing large crowds and bringing renewed attention to Kaifeng’s tourism scene.
2. 大唐不夜城 (Datang Everbright City)
Our next destination is Xi’an, Shaanxi province, another of China’s historic capitals. Datang Everbright City is a pedestrianised cultural and commercial district inspired by the Tang dynasty (618–907). Free to enter, it combines Tang-style architecture, illuminated streets, shopping, food and public performances.
Among its most memorable attractions was the “roly-poly girl” (不倒翁小姐姐), performed by Feng Jiachen, better known online as Pika Chen (皮卡晨). Dressed in Tang-style costume, she swayed atop a counterbalanced base, reaching down to take the hands of audience members. Her act went viral in 2019, becoming one of the defining images of Xi’an’s tourism boom.
3. 长安十二时辰主题街区 (Chang’an Twelve Hours Theme Block)
Also in Xi’an, and inspired by the hit 2019 television drama The Longest Day in Chang’an (《长安十二时辰》), this themed attraction draws visitors into the world of Tang-dynasty Chang’an, the ancient capital now known as Xi’an.
The drama follows a former imperial guard and a government official racing against time to prevent a terrorist attack during a single day in the city. The themed block translates this suspenseful historical setting into an immersive environment, with period-inspired interiors, costumes, food and performances.
Unlike Datang Everbright City, which unfolds along an open-air pedestrian street, Chang’an Twelve Hours is an indoor experience. Its more concentrated setting allows visitors to explore a curated version of Tang-dynasty urban life, with a stronger emphasis on atmosphere and staged encounters.
4. 清明上河园 (Qingming Riverside Landscape Garden)
Have you heard of Along the River During the Qingming Festival (《清明上河图》), the celebrated painting attributed to the Northern Song-dynasty artist Zhang Zeduan? The work offers a remarkably detailed portrait of urban life, depicting the markets, bridges, shops and boats of the capital, along with the crowds moving through it.
Qingming Riverside Landscape Garden in Kaifeng uses the painting as its blueprint, recreating the bustling streets and everyday activities of the Northern Song era. The park is particularly known for its live performances and evening entertainment. One of its signature productions, Dreams of the Eastern Capital (《大宋·东京梦华》), is a large-scale outdoor show staged on the water, combining music, dance, lighting and historical imagery.
5. 淮安西游乐园 (Huai’an Xiyou World of Adventure)
Opened in 2021 in Huai’an, Jiangsu province, Xiyou World of Adventure is a large-scale theme park built around Journey to the West (《西游记》), one of China’s best-known classical novels. Drawing on the novel’s fantastical world, the park combines modern rides with themed environments inspired by locations such as Flower Fruit Mountain, Gao Village and Thunderclap Monastery.
6. 只有河南·戏剧幻城 (Only Henan · Theatrical Fantasy City)
For a different kind of experience, Only Henan · Theatrical Fantasy City, near Zhengzhou, places storytelling rather than rides at the centre of the visit. Opened in 2021, the complex combines monumental rammed-earth architecture with 21 theatres and dozens of interconnected spaces.
The performances move between historical events and personal narratives. Some confront difficult chapters of modern history, such as the 1942 Henan famine; others explore the province’s rich cultural heritage. The result is less a conventional theme park than an expansive theatrical environment in which architecture, landscape and performance work together to tell stories about the region and its people.
7. 深圳世界之窗 (Window of the World)
Our final destination takes a different approach. Rather than drawing on Chinese historical narratives, Window of the World in Shenzhen offers a miniature journey around the globe.
Opened in 1994, the park holds a particular nostalgic appeal for many Chinese visitors who grew up in the 1990s and 2000s. Although reproducing architectural landmarks raises questions about representation and cultural ownership, the park also reflects an era when seeing the wider world could begin with a miniature version of it. Its approach differs from the historical storytelling of the other destinations on this list, but it shares a similar ambition: to make a distant world accessible through a carefully constructed physical environment.
Window of the World remains open today, with themed attractions, performances and evening light shows. Its continued presence shows that China’s homegrown theme-park culture is not limited to historical fantasy; it also includes the ambition to bring the wider world within reach.
China’s homegrown attractions may not yet be as globally renowned or as commercially polished as Disney’s parks, but their creativity in bringing classic legends, literary tales and traditional culture to life is remarkable. So, if you’re travelling in China and have a few days to spare, why not step into one of these immersive worlds? Knowing some Chinese will certainly help you get the most out of the experience, but you might be surprised by just how vividly these stories come to life.
Cover Image via News.