The numerous Tang-style elements transport visitors back in time to over a millennium ago as they experience the Longest Day in Chang’an themed tourist block. 

As dusk descends, the Grand Tang Dynasty Ever Bright City beneath the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, is teeming with people. Moving through the area, one frequently encounters figures clad in Tang-style costumes and traditional Han Chinese attire. In small groups of two or three, they wander around, chatting and laughing. The Tang-style architecture, paired with visitors in ancient dress in the streets, makes many guests feel as though they’ve been teleported a thousand years back in time to Chang’an, Xi’an’s name during the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Just over 100 meters past the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda lies the entrance to the “The Longest Day in Chang’an” themed tourist block. Having only been in operation for three years, this area has rapidly become the city’s new cultural landmark by replicating buildings and scenes from the popular namesake drama series and deep-rooted Tang Dynasty cultural heritage. With its stream of performances and over 10 fixed interactive locations featuring non-player characters (NPCs), the entire block offers an immersive Tang-era feast. From passive observers, visitors become active participants – listening to the carefree recitations of Li Bai, a famous poet of the Tang Dynasty, and witnessing Monk Xuanzang’s triumphant return from his pilgrimage to seek Buddhist scriptures in ancient India.

A corner in bloom of the Longest Day in Chang’an themed tourist block.

A Walking Scroll

“Try this koi-themed costume – this year’s hottest style!” A staff member dressed in traditional Han Chinese menswear shouted to tourists entering “The Longest Day in Chang’an” themed tourist block. “For around RMB 100, you can choose a traditional Han Chinese outfit tailored to your taste. Our in-store makeup artists will also create a stunning vintage look for you,” he enticed.

According to the outfitters’ staff, visitors from children as young as three to elderly up to 80 years old could all find their favorite outfits. Makeup and hairstyling – from intricate buns to period-accurate cosmetics – are fully customized based on customer preferences. Amid the promotional pitches, visitor Zhang Wan stepped into Zuanyu Traditional Han Outfit Studio.

“I came from Quanzhou, southeast China’s Fujian Province, to attend a friend’s wedding in Xi’an. I’ve only got one day for sightseeing. Among all the famous attractions, my friends and I finally chose this,” Zhang said. “Social media raves convinced us, especially about the breathtaking Rainbow and Feather Dress Dance performances. Photos of visitors transformed into ancient women in period costumes were simply irresistible.”

After her makeover, Zhang joined the throngs of visitors to begin her one-day immersion into the flourishing Tang era. Upon entering the block, dim yellow lighting, like a filter, cast an antique-looking ambiance. Zhang and her friends were instantly plunged from a neon blazing modern world into candle light of history.

Within this 24,000-square-meter cultural complex constructed with a RMB 150 million investment, the social tapestry of the prosperous Tang Dynasty materializes at every turn. Over 100 performers in Tang attire inhabit the meticulously replicated alleys – from Li Bai offering poetic toasts to street vendors’ hawking in Chang’an dialect.

Faithful to historical records of Tang architecture and urban planning, the block unfolds like a chessboard with its eastern and western markets. Visitors meandering through its lanes encounter professional actors seamlessly blending into the streetscape, NPCs improvising witty exchanges with tourists, as well as breathtaking signature shows like the Rainbow and Feather Dress Dance, where performers dance on moonlit pavilions. These fragments coalesce into a living tableau of Tang Dynasty splendor.

This unparalleled immersion owes everything to the developers’ adherence to historical accuracy. To capture quintessential Tang essence, researchers read through classical texts like Records of Chang’an; makeup artists traveled to the Dunhuang Caves to replicate precise hairpin angles; choreographers scrutinized palace dance manuscripts for authentic wrist rotations and footwork. The grand 24,000-square-meter space reconstructs the original 108-grid urban layout, while the RMB 150 million investment resurrects not only scenery but also Tang Dynasty vitality – every brick and smile echo authentic antiquity.

“This place overwhelms me,” Zhang marveled. “The cultural confidence and charm of the ancient Tang Dynasty are manifested very powerfully here. It feels less like experiencing history and more like living in a fleeting moment of it.”

Tourists clad in Tang-style costumes and traditional Han Chinese attire are a frequent scene inside the tourist block.

Interactive Tang Dynasty Street Life

Unlike the neighboring Grand Tang Dynasty Ever Bright City, which showcases imperial grandeur, “The Longest Day in Chang’an” themed tourist block strives to resurrect the vibrant commonplace of ordinary Tang citizens. By merging its namesake drama series with famous Tang poets like Li Bai and Du Fu, it has spawned a series of activities integrating immersive interaction with intangible cultural heritage elements. According to Zou Linfeng, the block manager, “Tradition isn’t relics covered in dust – it’s a vibrant stream flowing through modern lives.”

When drumbeats echo through the streets, royal processions and palace maidens walk beside visitors. At the block’s core, in the Rainbow and Feather Dress Dance, accompanied by Tang poetry recitations, dancers gracefully glide into the space mesmerizing visitors. Each evening, the grand finale Feast of Eternal Bliss features courtesan parades, acrobatic troupes, and lion dances. Beyond these spectacles, visitors witness Consort Yang descending from a swing as Emperor Xuanzong emerges with his retinue.

Here, visitors transcend passive viewing – they become Tang citizens by practicing Tang court rituals, exchanging modern currency for Tang cash coins, and making purchases with them.

This immersive experience doesn’t merely captivate visitors – it also converts engagement into purchasing power. The exquisitely designed scenes, widely shared across social media, have repeatedly gone viral. Entry requires admission tickets (the baseline expenditure), yet 70 percent of visitors choose traditional Han outfits at the block’s studios. After evening performances, the area attracts younger crowds to play role-playing mystery games at an additional cost. Moreover, snack and souvenir shops line the streets, each offering some of the “Chang’an dream” for visitors to take home.

Beyond commercial offerings, to make it more comfortable for visitors, there are also service enhancements, such as medical stations, nursing rooms, optimized rest areas, and upgraded ventilation systems for improved air quality.

“If you’ve visited this themed block,” shared a Rednote blogger alongside her photoshoots, “you’d be mesmerized by period costumes and can’t distinguish tourists from NPCs.”

“Fans of The Longest Day in Chang’an or Legend of the Demon Cat may dive deeper here,” commented another Rednote influencer. “But even newcomers like me find pure joy by taking beautiful photos here.” Beneath their posts, countless followers commented that they had added the block to their must-visit destinations in 2025.