From Lingshui county to the world

With 79 short dramas filmed and 212 cloud games boasting 1.16 million daily overseas users in Lingshui of Hainan province by July 2025, the vibrant county has grown into a thriving base for mini-dramas, gaming and animation start-ups.

To date, Lingshui, located in southeastern Hainan, has attracted over 600 enterprises to settle there. "The landscapes here resemble Southeast Asia, with coconut groves, beaches, swaying palm trees," said Liu Nan, a staff member of Haifeng International Film and Television Base. This natural similarity makes Lingshui an ideal location for productions targeting Southeast Asian markets, saving costs on overseas shoots.

The Haifeng base spans 14,000 square meters with 93 movie sets, ranging from airports to bars. Together with on-site services like car rentals, accommodations and catering, it provides a comprehensive filming solution. "In just one year, we've hosted 79 productions, including five Indonesian mini dramas," Liu noted.

A one-stop filming base like this offers a cost-saving option for overseas productions, faster than traditional process timelines. According to Liu, plans are already underway to expand the base with Southeast Asia-inspired street scenes and advanced XR virtual production LED walls.

Lingshui provides a comprehensive support system for enterprises at every growth stage: rent breaks, subsidies, tax cuts, and so on.

Eligible mini-drama projects receive subsidies of 100,000 yuan each, while gaming companies can qualify for up to 500,000 yuan to cover licensing costs. Additionally, the high-quality development fund of Lingshui Li autonomous county—a 4-billion-yuan government initiative—has already invested 100 million yuan to support local enterprises.

Entrepreneurs are also offered three-story villas with stunning island views. Rent is free for the first two years and discounted by 50 percent for the next three. These villas serve as both homes and workplaces.

As Wu Haifeng, Lingshui's Party secretary, put it: "Live upstairs, work downstairs. Step in for work, step out for leisure. Travel the island while earning overseas. No commutes, just 100 percent happiness."

Yang Yuhan contributed to this story.