Wuxi Film and Television Base - Three Kingdoms & Water Margin Scenic Area

Wuxi Film and Television Base - Three Kingdoms & Water Margin Scenic Area

Wuxi Film and Television Base - Three Kingdoms & Water Margin Scenic Area is a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction.

The Three Kingdoms and Water Margin Film Studios, along with the Tang City Film Studios, are all part of the China Central Television (CCTV) Film and Television Base. The Three Kingdoms section of the Three Kingdoms and Water Margin Scenic Area is nestled at the verdant foot of Junzhang Mountain and by the picturesque Taihu Lake. It is a large-scale film and television cultural park built by CCTV for shooting the 84-episode TV series "Romance of the Three Kingdoms." Iconic scenes such as “Liu Bei’s Marriage Proposal,” “The Burning of Red Cliffs,” “Cao Cao Composing Poetry on a Boat,” “Borrowing Arrows with Straw Boats,” “Borrowing the East Wind,” “Zhuge Liang Mourning the Dead,” and “Debating with the Scholars” — over ten key episodes — were filmed here. The Water Margin section was built after the Tang City and Three Kingdoms sections, as another filming base invested in by CCTV for the large-scale TV series "Water Margin." Adjacent to the Three Kingdoms site and west of Taihu Lake, it covers an area of 580 acres, with 1,500 acres of water surface available for filming. The main attractions of the Water Margin section can be divided into three parts: the Prefecture & County Area, the Capital City Area, and the Liangshan Area. In the Three Kingdoms section, based on the drama’s needs, dozens of large-scale film sets with cinematic features and strong Han Dynasty architectural styles were constructed, including the “Palace of the King of Wu,” “Ganlu Temple,” “Cao Camp Water & Land Fortress,” “Wu Camp,” “Seven-Star Altar,” “Horse Racing Field,” and “Generals’ Platform,” covering a construction area of 85,000 square meters. Later, to meet development needs, additional attractions such as the “Peach Garden,” “Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams Formation,” “Special Effects Field for the Burning of Red Cliffs,” “Arena,” and “Ancient Plank Road of Red Cliffs” were added, enriching the cultural content of the scenic area. The Water Margin section’s main attractions are also divided into three parts: the Prefecture & County Area, the Capital City Area, and the Liangshan Area. The Prefecture & County Area reflects the social life of the middle and lower classes during the Northern Song Dynasty as depicted in "Water Margin," featuring government offices, prisons, execution grounds, streets, shops, and manors. The most distinctive attraction is Zishi Street, where well-known establishments such as Wu Dalang’s Pancake Shop, Widow Wang’s Teahouse, and Butcher Zheng’s Meat Stall are recreated. The Capital City Area boasts majestic architecture, including the Imperial Palace, Great Xiangguo Temple, Fanlou (a famous restaurant), and Gao Qiu’s Mansion. An important structure in this area, Qingming Shanghe Tu Street, is designed based on the layout from the painting “Along the River During the Qingming Festival,” depicting the area from the Rainbow Bridge to the city gate, vividly showcasing the daily life and entertainment venues of the Song Dynasty. The Liangshan Area is built against the mountain and by the lake, featuring attractions such as Liangshan Dock, the Fortress Gate, the Drill Ground, the Twist Gate, the Sever Gold Pavilion, and the Loyal Lords Hall along the mountain slope. Over ten replica ancient Song Dynasty boats used in the filming of "Water Margin," including Gao Qiu’s official boat, oar boats, paddle-wheel boats, and warships, as well as more than ten speedboats, are now available for tourists to cruise on Taihu Lake. Since its opening, the Water Margin Scenic Area has hosted over 20 film and television production crews. Notable productions include "Homeward Bound," "Old Man Kou," "Iron-Blooded Heroes," "General Black Flag," "Peach, Plum & Apricot," "Han Yu," "The Legend of Zhu Silang," "The Emperor’s Journey," and "The Taiping Rebellion," many of which have been broadcast on TV stations across China.

Dining / Accommodation / Shopping

Dining: Restaurants such as “Tang Street Restaurant” in the Tang City Scenic Area, and “Sun Shangxiang Restaurant,” “Imperial Fragrance Restaurant,” and “Happy Forest Restaurant” in the Three Kingdoms & Water Margin Scenic Area offer fast food (starting from ¥10) and à la carte dishes. The Three Kingdoms & Water Margin Scenic Area has also introduced a “Lakeside Cold Buffet,” where you can enjoy the sunset over Taihu Lake aboard a historic Water Margin boat while sampling local freshwater delicacies. Price: ¥100 per person (includes scenic area admission and boat ticket), time: 16:00–18:00 (weather permitting).

Accommodation: Both scenic areas have hotels available for stay, with room rates at ¥138 per room.

Transportation

Take bus 820 from the train station square bus terminal directly to each scenic area. Alternatively, take minibuses: buses to Tang City cost ¥3 per person, to the Three Kingdoms & Water Margin Scenic Area ¥4 per person. Minivans charge ¥4 per person to Tang City and ¥5 per person to the Three Kingdoms & Water Margin Scenic Area. Taking a Xiali taxi from the train station to Tang City costs about ¥40, and to the Three Kingdoms & Water Margin Scenic Area about ¥50.

Ticket Prices / Opening Hours

Tang City Scenic Area: ¥32 per person; Three Kingdoms & Water Margin Scenic Area: ¥60 per person. Group discounts (10+ people): Tang City ¥28 per person, Three Kingdoms & Water Margin Scenic Area ¥56 per person.

Students (excluding adult education: universities, vocational schools, high schools, middle schools, and elementary school students): Tang City ¥16 per person, Three Kingdoms & Water Margin Scenic Area ¥30 per person. Every 20 students get 1 teacher free. Preschool/elementary students: 2 students share 1 student ticket. Every 20 students get 1 teacher free.

Wuxi residents (including those from one city and three counties): Tang City ¥20 per person, Three Kingdoms & Water Margin Scenic Area ¥50 per person.

Opening Hours

7:30-18:00

Location

Inside Wuxi Film and Television Base, Nan Dazhen, Shan shui West Road, Binhu District, Wuxi City