China News Service, Guangzhou, March 8, title: New vitality in Guangzhou’s old town: from “happy and sweet” to “hot and hot”
China News Service reporter Fang Weibin and Wang Hua
The movie "Hot and Spicy" has become popular all over the country. In the southern city of Yangcheng, there are both the actual shooting location of the film and the studio filming location in Zinitang Park, Shawan.
Zini Tang used to be the nationally renowned Zini Sugar Factory. Now, after careful work, it is being built into a large-scale film and television base in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Recently, reporters followed the Guangzhou Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Bureau to conduct media research activities.
The story of Zini Sugar Factory overcoming successive challenges and starting a "hot life" slowly unfolds.
The Guangdong Provincial State-owned Zini Sugar Factory, built in 1953, is the first large-scale sugar factory independently designed and developed in mainland China.
Photo by Fang Weibin
Zini Tang Creative Park was formerly the Guangdong Provincial State-owned Zini Sugar Factory built in 1953. It was the first large-scale sugar factory independently designed and developed in mainland China.
Walking in the creative park, subtle changes have taken place here.
The scattered factory buildings are still quietly arranged among green trees and red flowers.
"These towering chimneys have not been demolished. In the past, they were signposts guiding young people home." Liang Guang, operations director of Guangzhou Zinitang Creative Culture Co., Ltd. said that without changing the original structural layout, the original industrial Through conservation and reconstruction, the building has been transformed into a cultural and creative park.
In recent years, Guangzhou has vigorously promoted the millennium-old urban cultural and business connections and promoted the new vitality of Lingnan culture.
According to the Guangzhou Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Bureau, Guangzhou is increasingly adopting the "embroidery" technique of micro-renovation to rejuvenate the old city.
Zini Sugar Factory is located on Zini Island at the junction of Guangzhou and Foshan. It was built near the water. It is a "sweet business" that condenses the hard work of generations of sugar factory workers. It was closed after bankruptcy in 2000. After the factory became vacant, it was occupied by Panyu District, Guangzhou City. Fanfa Group Co., Ltd. took over and leased it to Guangzhou Zinitang Creative Culture Co., Ltd. for operation.
At present, on the basis of protection, the park has in-depth cooperation with the Guangzhou Urban Planning, Survey and Design Institute (hereinafter referred to as the "Guangzhou Planning Institute"), making full use of a series of incentive policies for the protection of historical and cultural heritage by government departments, and constantly exploring the potential of the park. Activation and utilization implementation path for sustainable development.
Chen Jiansheng, architectural director of the Institute of Historical and Cultural Cities of the Guangzhou Planning Institute, said that during the revitalization and utilization process, the most eye-catching thing is the creation of a film and television base.
The old sugar factory has a large area and many vacant factory areas. After revitalization, many film studios have been built and operated here, and the film and television industry has begun to take shape.
Guided by the towering chimneys of the old sugar factory, the reporter came to "Purple Shed 2".
Currently, the shed is being upgraded.
Last year, the movie "It's Hot" was shot in the studio.
"Currently, it is one of the largest film and television shooting bases in the Greater Bay Area." Liang Guang said that there are 6 professional film and television shooting studios in the entire park, which have attracted many well-known directors from Hong Kong and Macau to shoot here.
Data shows that from 2022 to 2023, Zini Tang Park will undertake the filming of thousands of movies, advertisements, short videos, clothing graphics, etc.
"2 Purple Shed" is being upgraded and renovated.
Last year, the movie "It's Hot" was shot in the studio.
Photo by Fang Weibin
Zinitang Park has provided film and television shooting services for many popular movies released in theaters, including the most popular movie "Hot and Spicy" for the Spring Festival in the Year of the Dragon in 2024, the box office champion for the New Year's Day in 2024 "Twinkle, Twinkle", and "Desperate Househusband" ”, “Hot Search” and other films were shot in the park.
Chen Jiansheng believes that with the influence of Zinitang Park on the film and television industry, it will attract more upstream and downstream companies in the film industry to develop in the park, activate the space in the park, and form a film and television industry chain as related industries continue to gather.
The "happy and sweet" sugar factory in the past has, with the development of the times, after more than ten years of "hot and hot" continuous investment and refined transformation, it has completely maintained the historical style of the industrial heritage and the beautiful natural and cultural landscape.
The old sugar factory has been transformed into a film and television shooting base in the Greater Bay Area. The picture shows the upgraded studio filming location.
Photo by Fang Weibin
The old sugar factory is constantly injecting "fresh blood", and cultural creativity, art education, life and leisure and other businesses are constantly emerging, becoming a good place for leisure and entertainment for Yangcheng citizens during holidays.
Graffiti walls, art blocks, studios, bookstores, coffee houses, RVs, etc. meet the tourists' visiting experience and needs.
According to the Guangzhou Municipal Planning Institute, during the revitalization process, the Zini Sugar Factory focused on the linkage of surrounding resources and integrated the culture and film industry with the humanities, history and village development of Shawan Ancient Town, fully activating the heritage value.
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