Lan Yingying and the children actors at the 1:1 scale replica of the“Love Island School” in Central Lake Park, Cangnan County.

On the afternoon of March 2, Love Island—the first major theatrical film produced by a Cangnan native and entirely filmed in Cangnan—held its premiere in the county. This film is set for a nationwide release on March 7.

Co-produced by Kai Picture Film and Cangnan County Tourism Investment Group, the film is directed by Tian Muze (Tian Meng) and stars Lan Yingying and Liu Yichang in the leading roles, with Sheng Yilun and Lin Lexuan in supporting roles.  It also features special appearances by Jia Bing, Huang Xiaolei, and Fan Tiantian. The story follows two volunteer teachers whose fates become intertwined through a diary, leading to a heartfelt romance.

Brimming with the charm of Cangnan, this heartwarming film turns Cangnan’s stunning landscapes and rich human stories into a captivating narrative. It forges a deep connection between people and their land, intertwining film with travel, and inviting audience on a mesmerizing visual journey to experience the beauty of Cangnan.

Producer decodes the film Love Island: A wanderer’s homage to his hometown.

When film meets nostalgia, It’s a beautiful stroke of good luck.

Xu Yiding, the producer of the film and chairman of Kai Picture, was born in Cangnan. When young, he left his hometown, forging his path through hardships until he made his mark in Beijing. Yet, after years in the metropolis, what compelled him to turn back and create films in Cangnan?

During the interview, he played a song on Kugou Music—Hometown, Hometown which he had written and performed. In his weathered voice, tinged with the Minnan dialect, he sings with deep emotion: “My hometown is in Cangnan” and “I, too, long to return.” Every note carries the weight of nostalgia, an aching love for the place he calls home.

“I wanted to return to Cangnan to make films as early as ten years ago,” Xu Yiding said. Previously known for directing thrillers, he often visited his hometown for inspiration. “But then I realized I should capture its beauty through heartwarming themes.”

Five years ago, while filming in Malaysia, he came across a Thai romance script, The Teacher’s Diary. Inspired by it, he adapted the story to a Chinese setting, which eventually became Love Island.

“At that time, many places in China were eager to collaborate with me on the filming location, but I told my team, ‘This script belongs to Cangnan, no arguments.’ This is a film made with “heart”. First, it’s a romantic love story, and coincidentally, just off the coast of Yanting in Cangnan lies a heart-shaped island—a perfect setting for the film. Secondly, it’s my heartfelt commitment to my hometown. As a native of Cangnan, I wanted to create a film tailored specifically for it, leveraging cinema to enhance its image.” He added, “A film is like a beam of light which can illuminate my hometown.”

Through rain and storm, they pressed on. “We encountered two major typhoons during filming, which severely disrupted our schedule. People may know Cangnan for its typhoons, but I told my team that we’re going to make Cangnan known for its films.” Xu recalled that with the substantial support from local authorities, his team overcame challenge after challenge and successfully completed the shoot.

He poured his heart into this film. To make it more localized, he insisted that the actors use the Wenzhou-accented Mandarin for dubbing. “For instance, actress Huang Xiaolei, who’s from Chongqing, had to learn some Minnan dialect, like ‘Let’s make Mazhan pan fried baozi together’. The dubbing studio was almost a madhouse for her. Even child actors had to learn it. We spent over a month just on dubbing, all to make sure their performances feel real.”

Audience recognition has been Xu’s greatest satisfaction. “During the film’s preview screening in Cangnan, some audience burst into laughter. When I asked why, one said, “Because I am the ‘doctor’ in the film, as I’m a real doctor playing the role of a doctor.” Xu chuckled, amused at how he had unintentionally created such a comedic film.

Love Story seen through the eyes of actors

Cangnan is so sui(beautiful)!

How fortunate, where mountains and oceans meet the breeze, the warmth of culture and humanity fills the air, immortalized in the film.

Why was Cangnan chosen as the filming location? As actor Jia Bing puts it, “Cangnan is just breathtakingly beautiful!”

The film is primarily shot at locations along the Cangnan 168 Golden Coast, including Yanting’s Love Island, Xiaguan Old Street, and Jiepai Village in Yanpu Town. It also captures local delicacies and coastal culture.

During filming, guest actor Jia Bing took the chance to explore the scenic 168 Golden Coast by motorcycle with friends. In a video, he enthusiastically recommended the area, exclaiming, “Cangnan is so ‘sui’!” Here, “sui” is the pronunciation of Minnan dialect for Chinese word “美” (mei, meaning “beautiful”). At the premiere, lead actress Lan Yingying also spoke highly of Cangnan’s beauty. “This is my first time spending such an extended period filming in a coastal city,” she shared. “Cangnan carries the scent of the sea, the freshness of the air, the warmth of the sunshine, and the down-to-earth charm of the city. It’s a truly unpretentious place. Driving along the 168 Golden Coast, I felt it’s a perfect destination for family road trips. The local cuisine suits a wide range of tastes; our crew members came from all over the country, and yet everyone grew to love the food here.”

Cangnan County is a distinctive area blessed by mountains and the sea. Its natural coastline is dotted with islands, beaches, fishing ports, ancient villages, and coastal defense sites. It boasts a rich cultural heritage shaped by three civilizations, each with a 600-year-old history--the coastal defense civilization represented by Jinxiang Garrison City and Puzhuang Garrison City, the industrial civilization represented by the World Alum Capital, and the agrarian civilization represented by Wanyao(Bow Kiln) Ancient Village.

According to Wang Min, director of the Cangnan County Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism, and Sports, the county has embraced new concepts and innovative strategies in advancing all-for-one tourism. It has made great efforts to create internet-famous sites such as the 168 Golden Coast and Yucang Mountain Countryside Sports and Leisure Park, striving to present “the trendiest sea”, “the most romantic mountains”, and “the most livable county”. This effort aims to make the cultural and tourism brand of “Endless Blue and Green, Mountain-Sea Cangnan” well-known.

With the integrated development of mountains, sea, and county, Cangnan's cultural and tourism are experiencing leapfrog growth. The 168 Golden Coast has been recognized as one of the first batch of national tourist highways in China, and the alum mine site has been included in the China's World Cultural Heritage Tentative List. Cangnan County has been selected as one of the top 100 counties in China in terms of all-for-one tourism strength for six consecutive years, reaching 47th position nationwide and first in Wenzhou in 2024, with the added value of the tourism industry exceeding 5 billion yuan.

Film Director Tian introduced that the uniqueness of the Love Island (a heart-shaped island), the flavor of Mazhan pan fired baozi, and the novelty of bay aquaculture rafts.... All these local sights and flavors sparked his artistic inspiration, enriching the film with greater depth and visual texture.

It can be said that Cangnan’s natural and cultural landscapes not only offer tourists an emotionally fulfilling travel experience but also provide filmmakers with a wealth of artistic perspectives for location scouting.

The “momentum” of the tourism economy

Film industry & cultural tourism industry: reciprocal empowerment

The firm has given more people a reason to visit Cangnan County.

At the premiere, the local government and film production companies signed agreements for the “Encounter 168” series of projects and launched the “Follow the Film, Travel to Cangnan” campaign.

Lead actress Lan Yingying, along with children actors, visited Central Lake Park in Cangnan County. At the “Love Island School”, a 1:1 scale replica of the story's location, they showcased highlights in the film, such as the “spicy cake” and “romantic swing” and other iconic features, recreating touching scenes.

Why did they add these activities at the premiere? The answer lies in Cangnan’s vision to integrate film and cultural tourism for mutual prosperity. The county aims to follow the path of “One Movie, One City's Rise”, enhancing emotional support, creating tourism consumption experiences, and leveraging the film's long-tail effect to deeply integrate the film industry with the local economy. This initiative sets a benchmark for film-tourism integration in China.

As a senior expert in film industry, Xu Yiding has a profound understanding and clear plan for the synergy between film and cultural tourism. He believes that after watching a film, audience may be inspired to visit the shooting locations to take pictures, while encountering film-related cultural and creative products might stimulate their desire to watch the film. He wants to combine film and cultural tourism through this initiative.

“In the film Love Island, we have created many intriguing elements, such as Love Island, which may become a popular scenic site after the film's release. People might wonder where the island is, and some may even say, ‘Take your lover to Love Island!’ We can develop various cultural and creative products around this island—such as opening a branch of the marriage registration office there, and use heart-shaped seals on the souvenirs. Another example is the ‘mud horse’, a tool for mudflat cultivation featured in the film. We could host a envision ‘mud horse races’, developing it into a trendy sport for tourists. I've even thought of a name for it: ‘Oh My Mud Horse!’ ” He pronounced the name playfully.

With the release of the film, these creative ideas are being put into practice.

The project “Follow the Film, Travel to Cangnan” was launched at the premiere. Leveraging the popularity of the film, Cangnan County will roll out special tourism routes, creating a new internet-famous site for local tourism. By transforming on-screen stories into immersive real-world experiences, the initiative seeks to inspire more people to yearn for Cangnan through film, visit Cangnan through storytelling, and fall in love with Cangnan through firsthand encounters.

At Central Lake Park in Cangnan County, the “Love Island School”, serves not only as a scenic spot where tourists can take pictures and watch this film, but also as a promotional hub for film-themed merchandise, including “Encounter 168 Golden Coast series of beverages” and “168 Golden Coast Diaries”. This strategy extends the film’s influence into an industry chain of cultural consumption.

Wang Min noted that Cangnan County will seize this opportunity to enhance its global tourism promotion. By continuously developing and showcasing its unique cultural and tourism IPs, the county aims to expand its market reach and attract numerous visitors, effectively driving the growth of Cangnan’s cultural tourism industry and ultimately fostering a thriving regional tourism economy.

It was learnd that in July 2023, Cangnan County established the “Cangnan Film Production Base of the Beijing Film Association” and the “Cangnan Film Production Base of the China Television Artists Association Network Audio-Visual Research Center.” Last year, nine local attractions were selected as the first batch of film shooting sites in Wenzhou.

Data show that in 2023, China’s film tourism market reached 293.32 billion yuan, drawing 253.9 million visitors, with a year-on-year(YoY) growth of 168.2% and 115.7%, respectively. This upward trend continued in 2024.

The fusion of film and tourism provides limitless space for imagination!