Hengdian World Studios Cater to Star Performers

Hengdian World Studios， dubbed as “oriental Hollywood”， is China’s largest filming powerhouse. All the year round， directors and showbiz stars flock to Hengdian to have their blockbusters made. Other showbiz professionals in the full industrial chain follow. The stars’ presence in the studios in central Zhejiang attracts tourists and groupies from all over China. That is why Hengdian is home to luxurious hotels and restaurants that offer a full range of cuisines. Chefs and waitresses as well as PR people in restaurants and hotels in Hengdian know the eating idiosyncrasies and preferences of these stars.

It usually takes at least three months for a film to be made in Hengdian. So during this period of time， directors， stars and other crew members would eat out in all the restaurants in Hengdian. They even know which food stall in which street offers what kind of tasty pies. Film stars like these small restaurants that can be anywhere in Hengdian. But restaurants in luxury hotels in Hengdian cater best to these big names.

The four-star International Conference Center Hotel in Hengdian is always the first choice of the crews of blockbuster films when they come to town. Service people at the hotel feel lucky to see heavy-weight stars come and go. Those who love to gossip would most gladly tell you what they have seen or heard from their colleagues since they started working at the hotel. For example， many of these experienced service people at the restaurant of the hotel have memories of “Hero” which was shot in Hengdian in 2001. They saw Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung in person. The two sometimes pedaled bikes around the town. Leung preferred lobsters whereas Zhang would like to eat food cooked only in fresh water. Some service people at the hotel are deeply impressed by Cheung’s diet and comment that the unflagging regimen is the price the beauty has paid to keep herself slim and pretty for all these years.

“The Forbidden Kingdom”， a high-profile movie made in Hengdian in 2007， attracted the huge attention of the media as well as the fandom from all over the country. A groupie dogged Liu Yifei closely and filed a feature report on what the fairy girl did for a single day. It was found that Liu the fairy girl had a weakness for noodle of buckwheat. She ordered it almost every meal at the restaurant. Waitresses at the restaurant are not particularly impressed by the heartthrob’s preference for such a cheap and ordinary food. They noticed something more extraordinary about the girl: she hated mosquitoes and wanted a mosquito-repellant incense burning as soon as she sat down in a private room in the restaurant. The pretty girl is also said to have been particular about cleanliness.

Bao Daxin， the executive chef at the hotel， is probably the best source of information on the food preferences of showbiz stars. He knows a great deal about what makes their mouths water. The executive chef has to， because he needs to make sure that his star clients are truly satisfied at his restaurant.

Well， some stars stay at other hotels in Hengdian mainly because they prefer something special on their menus. If you investigate， you can surely find out who go where and what they enjoy.

It is found that film stars are just like ordinary people when it comes to tasty dishes. Film stars prefer environmentally friendly food and they prefer dishes prepared in the local style and in simple ways， that is， they need to come all the way to Hengdian to enjoy Hengdian-style food. These gourmets know what they want. They may prefer different cuisines and dishes， but all these showbiz people have something in common: most of them eat like birds in order to keep fit and keep their look.□