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Hey there! I'm EunSusu.
I had a truly unique experience during my trip to Chongqing.
It's the famous Hanfu dress-up and Wanghong (influencer-style) photoshoot at Hongyadong.
Even though I'm a guy, I went with the female makeover style!😘
Here is my honest, hands-on review from my experience on May 27th.
Let's dive right into it!
1. Must-know tips before booking
My... Wanghong... photo... editing in progress...
When you go to Hongyadong, you'll see tons of Hanfu photoshoot studios...
You can absolutely walk in on the spot, but
honestly, many local staff in Chongqing might struggle a bit with translation apps.
So I thought booking in advance through platforms like Klook or Trip.com
would make communication a whole lot smoother,
which is why I booked mine beforehand!
I booked through Klook below:
But later, I found out that Trip.com was selling the exact same package
at a cheaper price! ㅠㅠ🤣
Klook: ~$46
Trip.com: ~$42
That's a difference of about ~$3!
Since it's the exact same studio anyway,
you should definitely book through Trip.com!
(You can get it even cheaper if you have a coupon!)
👉Book Chongqing Wanghong Experience on Trip.com
2. How to get to Chuxin Travel Photography (Hongyadong Branch)
📍Chuxin Lvpai (Chuxin Travel) 2A-034
Located on the 2nd Floor, Zone A, Shop No. 34, inside Hongyadong
I headed over to Hongyadong around 8:00 PM.
I wanted to time my photoshoot with the beautiful night lights of Hongyadong turning on.
Hongyadong itself can be quite a maze,
so I highly recommend heading there a bit early!
You'll need to take the elevator or escalator
to get to the 2nd floor of Hongyadong first.
As you walk down the corridors of the 2nd floor,
you'll notice shop numbers written on columns or signs.
See the 2A-034 written on the right side of the pillar in the photo?
Just follow those numbers and you're good to go!
3. Shop interior & Check-in
When I arrived and showed them my Klook QR voucher,
they immediately got to work helping me.
Luckily, I arrived just as other customers' makeovers were wrapping up,
so I didn't have to wait at all!
I just wrote down my name and phone number and we got started!
I didn't expect the process to be this quick.
4. Choosing a Style (Guys can do female styles too!)
First, they showed me different Wanghong styles on a tablet
and asked which one I wanted to do.
Since I'm a guy and picked a female style,
the staff member double-checked with me
to make sure I hadn't made a mistake.
So, I showed them a memo on my phone
with a Chinese translation I had prepared beforehand.
"I'm a guy, but I want to dress up as a woman. I want an ethereal, fairy-like look, but with bold makeup."
As soon as they read it, they immediately recommended some stunning female Wanghong styles!
I also showed them some reference photos I had screenshotted,
and they asked if I was okay with it being super dramatic.
I just told them to do whatever they thought would suit me best,
and they nodded and jumped right into action!
5. Getting Dressed & Starting Makeup
Once you choose your style, they whisk you straight to the changing room.
You only need to take off your top to change,
but because of my broad shoulders, the fit wasn't quite perfect.
Oh well, what can you do!
Once I sat down in the makeup chair,
they got straight to work, moving seamlessly through the steps!~
Toner prep → Moisturizer → Foundation (making my face super pale!) → Brow grooming → All kinds of eye makeup → Double eyelid tape
→ Eyeliner → Lips → Hair styling → And finally, the hair accessories!
The moment they started applying the foundation, I couldn't help but laugh lol.
My face turned ghost-white in seconds, and I was wondering "Is this really right?"
But they were so professional and confident that I just trusted the process and let them do their thing.
They even asked if they could trim my eyebrows,
which I found super thoughtful.
They just cleaned up the top area slightly.
While one person did my makeup, another worked on my hair
from behind at the same time. Talk about true professionals!
They seemed really welcoming to Korean tourists,
using translation apps and smiling the whole time
as they communicated, which made me feel so comfortable.
Honestly, simple body language worked surprisingly well too.
Just a heads-up: if you're very sensitive about makeup hygiene,
it's best to keep that in mind before you go!
6. Transformation Complete...
Once the outfit, hair, and accessories were all set,
I looked in the mirror... and I couldn't stop laughing lol!
But surprisingly, it actually gave me a massive boost of confidence!
7. Photoshoot with Hongyadong's Night View
After a short wait, the photographer arrived.
We headed over to the front of Hongyadong, and the crowd was absolutely massive.
But maybe because I was already all dressed up,
I didn't feel embarrassed at all lol.
In fact, my confidence skyrocketed! 💪
They directed everything from my expressions to poses and props,
making the whole shoot feel incredibly professional.
They used translation apps on the spot to communicate, so there was zero hassle.
And with that stunning night view in the background, it looked seriously legit! lol
[Behind-the-scenes video of the shoot...]
8. Choosing & Receiving the Photos
Once the shoot is done and you change back into your clothes,
it's time to choose your photos.
You just wait near the editors' desks until they call your number.
They call out the numbers in Chinese,
so it's a good idea to memorize your number in Chinese beforehand!
My number was 7, so luckily it was easy to catch lol.
First, you go through the photos and pick
6 shots to be edited/retouched.
You can just say YES if you like it, or NO if you don't!
Even though they use automated retouching tools,
the transformation was crazy—I suddenly looked like a Chinese influencer! lol
Isn't it great how they explain everything using a translation app?
If you want additional retouched photos, there is an extra fee of 50 RMB (approx. $7) per photo,
but I decided not to add any!
I received all the photos via WeChat before 11 PM on the same day.
I was so glad they came back much faster than expected!
I got 31 original cuts and the 6 retouched photos~
9. Let me show you the retouched photos...
Maybe it's because they went all out with the makeup...
The photo editing turned out amazing lol, I don't even look like myself!
It was my first time cross-dressing, and it was such a funny
and memorable experience.
9. Quick tips before your experience.
Snapped a photo while exploring Hongyadong with my makeup still on lol
I actually went to grab late-night snacks looking exactly like this...
Wrapping Up
From picking the outfit to makeup, the photoshoot, and selecting the final photos,
the whole process took about 2 hours in total.
The Hanfu Wanghong photoshoot experience at Chongqing Hongyadong
was absolutely, incredibly fun.
Shooting against the stunning night view made it feel even more special.
No one looked at me weirdly,
and I loved how welcoming everyone was, embracing it as a fun local culture.
If you're planning a trip to Chongqing, I highly recommend giving this a try!
That's it from me—this was Eun Suseo!
👇 Book the Chongqing Hongyadong Hanfu Photoshoot Experience 👇
This is because you can book the exact same package for about ~$3 cheaper on Trip.com at ~$42, compared to ~$46 on Klook. If you apply a coupon, you can enjoy it at an even lower price.
You first need to take the elevator or escalator up to the 2nd floor of the Hongyadong building. Walk along the 2nd-floor shopping corridor and look for the number 2A-034 on the pillars or signs to reach the studio.
You will receive the photos via WeChat before 11:00 PM on the day of the photoshoot. Basically, you will get 31 original photos and 6 edited photos. If you want additional edited photos, it costs 50 CNY per photo.
It takes about 2 hours in total to finish everything, starting from changing clothes and getting makeup done to the outdoor photoshoot and photo selection. If you want to shoot with the night view of Hongyadong, it's best to plan your visit time carefully.
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