The Chen Go K-pop Experience Center in Shanghai is giving fans a chance to step into their idols' shoes. The world-first concept offers hair, makeup and full studio sets where visitors can sign autographs, sing and dance—just like their favorite stars.
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00:00Lights, camera, action. Tucked behind a side door in a Shanghai gym, fans come to sign imaginary
00:08autographs and play dress-up, just like their K-pop idols. But this isn't just a dress-up session,
00:17it's an idol experience center, set up for everyday people to step into the world of their
00:23favorite stars, if only for a moment. This is a world first. Opened just last year, the
00:48Chang'e Experience Center offers more than 200 outfits and diverse sets, all designed
00:54for fans to live out their K-pop fantasies. An idyllic classroom inspired by Korean reality
01:04TV shows, a meet-and-greet set-up, and even a backstage setting, all waiting to be brought
01:10to live on camera. China first got the K-pop wave in the late 90s, calling it Han fever.
01:39But things changed in 2016. When South Korea deployed a US missile defense system to counter
01:48threats from North Korea, China clapped back. They banned all K-pop performances and heavily
01:54limited South Korean television programs, citing that they flouted correct beauty standards.
02:00But that didn't stop fans from keeping up. Some flew overseas for concerts, others found ways
02:09around the online restrictions. These days, acts like Blackpink and BTS, and titles like Squid Game
02:17Parasite, are widely recognized, reaching fans across China, despite the ban.
02:24In a country where connecting with K-pop idols is still restricted, is still restricted, but it's
02:31a good thing to do. This experience aims to provide a sense of belonging. In a country where connecting
02:37with K-pop idols is still restricted, imagination becomes the bridge between fan and fantasy,
02:44with even more immersive events in the works.
02:46In a country where connecting with K-pop idols is still restricted, imagination becomes
02:53the bridge between fan and fantasy, with even more immersive events in the works.
03:01K-pop idols is still restricted, the bridge between fan and fantasy.
03:18This unique idea is now drawing fans from abroad, with Russian, Japanese and even South Korean
03:24visitors stepping in to live out their fantasies. And the dream is only growing.
03:30The owner plans to double the space, making room for more fans to have their moment in the spotlight.
03:37Scott Hwang and Zalan Chateau for Taiwan Plus.