Shanghai K-POP Idol Experience Center Attracts 40 Visitors Daily

The K-POP idol experience center “Chen Go” located in a shopping mall in Shanghai, China, has gained popularity by drawing around 40 visitors each day. Opened in 2024, this center offers fans the opportunity to stand on stage and perform just like their favorite stars, attracting tourists from around the world. The cost to use the center is 329 yuan per package (approximately 65,000 Korean won), which includes costumes, shoes, hairstyles, and makeup. Visitors can choose from over 200 outfits, some of which are imported directly from South Korea. They can perform like K-POP stars in a set designed to replicate Korean music programs, and they can also experience signing autographs at a virtual fan meeting. Chen Rong, the founder of the center, is a K-POP fan who initially wanted to open a photo studio with a classroom theme after being inspired by scenes in Korean reality TV shows where idols dressed up as high school students. He later expanded it into an integrated idol experience center by adding fan meeting sets and backstage setups. “I thought since all the decorations were related to the idol theme, I should open an integrated idol experience center,” Chen Rong explained. The reasons behind visitors coming to the center vary. Shirley Chen, 28, from Ningbo south of Shanghai, said, “I loved dancing since I was young and wanted to become an idol, but as I grew up, my parents wanted me to find a job that could earn money, so I gave up on my dream. Here, I was able to realize my dream of becoming an idol.” She visited to celebrate her upcoming birthday. The center is also attracting tourists from Russia, Japan, and South Korea. Thanks to its popularity, Chen Rong plans to double the center’s size by May, with expansion plans that include inviting social media influencers as guest hosts and building additional stages equipped with projectors.