China’s micro-drama boom turns stalled real estate projects into lavish film sets

On social media, frustrated buyers who paid for their long-promised flats years ago plead for updates on their unfinished homes. Meanwhile, the project’s lavish sales hall has found a new lease of life: under its glittering chandeliers, production crews shoot family feuds and love triangles for China’s booming micro-drama industry.

The on-screen opulence stands in stark opposition to the idle construction outside, a scene playing out across China. As the micro-drama craze sweeps the country, stalled commercial and residential properties are being repurposed into film sets.

In 2024, the audience for micro-dramas surpassed 660 million people nationwide, spanning tier-one cities to smaller towns – and, for the first time, overtaking national box office revenue.

Urban romance dramas set in luxurious office buildings and flats have proven especially popular. This has generated new demand for high-end shooting locations, at a time when stricter regulations and cash flow shortages have triggered widespread delays to projects.