My Beijing Adventure: A Royal Makeover Photoshoot!
It's me again, that girl who did a solo 6-day, 5-night trip exploring 4 places in China. Hope you all aren't bored of my short reviews and silly clips!
Beijing Ancient Costume Photo Studio Review: From Ordinary Girl to...Almost a Princess?
One beautiful, slightly chilly spring morning in Beijing, around 8 AM, my friend and I booked a Didi (basically China's version of Grab, but with a more confusing app, lah!) to the Forbidden City. Our only thought: "Let's transform into imperial princesses!"
Inspiration? A super popular TikTok review with over 100k likes!
Journey: From Donghua Gate, we cycled 600m to Wangfu Century – a hotspot for ancient costume photo studios. The moment we arrived, a sales guy jumped out and grabbed us like it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Instinctively, I bargained – and he gave us a price even lower than the one in the TikTok review! It was like shopping at Pasar Seni, but for photoshoots!
The Makeover: From Minah Biasa to Permaisuri (Queen)!
Makeup & Outfit: I chose to be Xiao Yan Zi, but the final result looked more like a young Rong Momo (think of it as a slight...misunderstanding). But honestly, all the makeup in this area is pretty similar – a bit too "retro" for my taste. Tip lah: bring your own makeup and ask the artists to use it. I heard you can book handsome male makeup artists in advance, so plan ahead!
The Studio Experience
The Space: The studio is located on the B1 floor, number B1-22, just like in the video.
As soon as we walked in, they showed us hairstyle and dress samples and asked: "Gege or Guang Houz (Princess)?"
After 30 minutes of makeup (powder, eyeliner, lashes, wig), we were transformed! They should've done the outfit first, but hey, everyone makes mistakes!
The Photoshoot
Location, Location, Location: The sales guy led us to the main entrance, added us on WeChat, and took us to the handsome, tall photographer waiting at Donghua Gate.
Important: Photographers aren't allowed in the Forbidden City, so we shot in the park opposite the gate (entrance fee 2 yuan) or the Temple of Heaven. Any photos inside the Forbidden City were selfies, while the stunning ones were taken in the park with the help of Photoshop and good weather.
What Made it Special: Semangat Malaysia Level Enthusiasm!
The sales guy was super helpful, from our initial WeChat chats to when he sent us off. He constantly checked in on us.
The photographer kept asking if we were happy with the shots and if we needed more. Even when the sun was harsh and we were squinting, he said "Mei shi mei shi" ("No problem!"). So nice kan?
I recommended the place to my friend, and they upgraded her combo to super-vippro level, turning a 30-minute shoot into 1.5 hours! He kept messaging me, asking if my friend was happy, which was really touching. My friend said she was super satisfied, and her photos were even better than mine (really!), so I'm giving them a shout-out!
The Price
How much, you ask? Only 550 yuan/2 people! Full combo includes:
- Gege (Prince) or Princess ancient costume
- Professional photoshoot
- 30 original photos each, over 1.2GB in size (plenty for editing and showing off!)
Want to Go?
Inbox me now, and I'll give you the sales guy's WeChat (the one wearing the hat in the clip) so you can:
- Bargain freely – mention you're my friend for a special price
- Book in advance and specify shooting locations and number of shots
- Choose outfits remotely
- Book a handsome photographer or makeup artist (I can recommend one with photos, hehe)
- Discuss the best angles for your face with the photographer (just speak Malay, WeChat translates!)
Conclusion
The studio isn't fancy in terms of decor or makeup, but it excels in service.
5 stars for the "one-step transformation – lifetime of photos" experience!
More advertising than review, but it's truly worth it!
My photos are at the end of the post. Tell me if I look like Xiao Yan Zi or a Gen Z Rong Momo =))
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