Influenced by period dramas and the internet, a new tourism business opportunity has emerged in China in recent years: allowing tourists to dress in period costumes and take photos against the backdrop of ancient historical buildings.

Taking Beijing, the capital during the Ming and Qing dynasties, as an example, during holidays, in addition to tourists in ordinary clothes, a considerable number of people dressed in period costumes visit attractions like the Forbidden City to take photos with the palace or city walls as a backdrop.

From costume rentals and makeup to professional photography, a sizable industry chain has formed.

1. Potential Business Opportunities & Ventures

• “Heritage Identity” SaaS Platform for Photographers and Rental Shops: Managing bookings, costume inventory, dry-cleaning schedules, and photo editing workflows across thousands of independent vendors is highly chaotic. A specialized B2B vertical SaaS startup could provide an all-in-one shop management ecosystem, including real-time inventory tracking for high-end silks and an integrated client booking calendar.
• AI-Driven “Digital Fitting” and Pre-Booking Ecosystem: Costume selection often leads to massive bottlenecks and long wait times inside cramped physical rental shops. A high-growth startup could build a web app using advanced AR/AI technology. Tourists can upload a selfie, virtually try on over 200 variations of historical attire (Hanfu, Cheongsam, or retro suits), and lock in their custom tailored fitting before they even arrive at the destination.
• Smart “Audio-Immersive” Location-Based Historical Guiding: While a tourist is walking around the Forbidden City or an ancient concession in a period costume, their experience can be elevated using location-based audio technology. An app could detect their exact coordinates via GPS and play customized, high-production values audio dramas or historical narratives that match the specific costume era they are wearing, making them feel like the actual protagonist of a period piece.
• Cross-Border “Pop-Up Heritage” Experiences: Take this multi-million dollar industry chain to international historical sites. An agile startup could establish exclusive pop-up costume and photography franchises at iconic global landmarks—such as Kyoto’s shrines, Paris’s châteaux, or Rome’s coliseums—tailoring the attire and photography styles to the specific architectural backdrop of the host country.