The Nine Shanghai’s Jody Xiong directs new tourism film ‘Fascinating’ for Shenzhen, China
On September 27, World Tourism Day, Shenzhen, China released ‘Fascinating,’ a 12-minute city symphony celebrating technology, romance, and imagination. The music video, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Jody Xiong, blends Chopin-inspired piano motifs with tidal symphonies, rock-metal energy, and waltz-like innocence to reimagine Shenzhen as a place where innovation meets poetry.
Breaking away from convention, Xiong fuses Shenzhen’s Eastern charm with postmodern and futuristic aesthetics, revealing the city’s dual spirit – from its dazzling skylines and cutting-edge industries to its poetic, dreamlike essence. The film’s surreal imagery includes scenes of tidal chanting, fish leaping through stars, and reflections of the city’s physical and spiritual worlds, showcasing both its familiar rhythms and unexplored wonders.
Xiong, founder of The Nine Shanghai and the visual effects director of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, was ranked the No.1 most awarded Chinese creative leader in Campaign Brief Asia’s 2024 Creative Rankings. His previous work Magnificent for the ancient city of Yotkan in Xinjiang earned widespread acclaim, drawing millions of tourists and winning major global awards, including the first-ever Grand Prix for Greater China at the 2025 Clio Music Awards.
As one of China’s foremost innovation hubs, Shenzhen is home to leading global brands like Huawei, BYD Auto, and Tencent – yet also rich in history, art, and natural beauty. These contrasts inspired Xiong and his team to name the film Fascinating – capturing the city’s complexity, contradictions, and wonder.
The film features nine-year-old musician Lv Sile performing the original song Fascinating, a poetic blend of technology and romance told through a fantasia-impromptu piano score that pays homage to Chopin’s Romanticism. The child’s voice delivers lyrical reflections on innovation and humanity, while a parallel storyline follows an astronaut on a white horse journeying through mountains, seas, and cityscapes – a metaphor for Shenzhen’s boundless dreams.
Visually, Fascinating traverses iconic Shenzhen landmarks: a pianist conjuring the sound of the sea at the Cloud Observatory; Wing Chun dancers atop Wutong Mountain; robotic art performances at City Art Square; Cantonese opera singers and sci-fi statues in surreal harmony; dancers, athletes, and artists across neon skylines and misty parks. The imagery moves seamlessly between the real and the fantastical, forming a visual symphony that captures the city’s soul.
Complementing the film, Xiong collaborated with photographers Zhang Xinhua and Liu Junhao to create a series of photographs, posters, and postcards inspired by Fascinating – extending the project’s vision beyond the screen and into visual art.
Credits
Brand: Shenzhen Tourism Bureau, China
Director: Jody Xiong
Creative Agency and Production Company: The Nine Shanghai
Executive Producer: Liu Lei, Li Qiangqiang, Zhang Qi, Huang Weidong, Sheng Ming, Huang Qiongxing, Su Man, Zhu Yi, Ma Shimeng, Wang Yatong, Yang XiaokaiCreative
Creative Director: Jody Xiong
Art Director: Jody Xiong
Artist: Jody Xiong
Director of Photography: Guo Yonghong
Designer: Jody Xiong, Chen Ye
Copywriter: Candy Chen
Producer: Wang Yimeng
Online: Chosen Shanghai
Editors: Wang Yu, Liu Yang
Color Grading: Zhang Yingjie
CGI: Senvision lab
Visual Effects Supervisor: Liu Junhao
Lighting: Wang Peihong
Trinity: Shang Deng
Assistant Photography: Feng Liang
Aerial Photography: Zhang Yuebing
Sound Producer: Yan Zhenying @Ginko Sound
Singer: Lv Sile
Lyricist: Lu Zhuoyushu, Zhang Wenyan, Yan Zhenqi
Music Composer: Liu Junyi, Zou Ji, Liu Hefeng, Feng Mingxiao, Li Muye, Yan Zhenqi
Chorus: International Principal Philharmonic Chorus
Violin Soloist: Zhang Qin
Sound Mixer: Li Yang, Qu Tianyu
Costumes: Miya Xie, Wen Xiaoting, Xie Yanjiao, Xiao Xiang, Zeng Yimiao, Xie Xuewei, Li Jiaqi, Xie Miaoluan
Makeup: Tan Meijuan, Deng Huiqin, Dong Fang
Photographer: Zhang Xinhua
Stagehand: Wu Hejun
Dance director of “Wing Chun”: Li Chenzhe
Actors: Chang Hongji (Wing Chun), Wang Yuanlin (Baguazhang), Wang Mengnan, Xu Tianhui, Wu Yongqi, Li Xuan, Liu Yutong, Niu Siyu, Dai Qing, Li Tianzhi, Li Qianyao, Wang Ruobing, Xiaotian, Hao Fangyuan, Yang Changming, Zhang Jinhao, Xu Hang, Zhang Wenjun, Wang Junhui, Xian Jianing, Liu Kaihong, City Symphony Orchestra (Tao Yuchen, Ren Ziming), Panda Robot (Must Choose), Shenzhen Opera and Dance Theater, Daweiwu Art in Longgang District, Shenzhen Tuan, Fuyong Za Shi Tuan, Shenzhen Cantonese Opera Troupe, Qiaotou Community Lion Dance Troupe in Fuhai Street, Bao’an District, Shenzhen, Shenzhen Art School, Shenzhen Football Association, Shenzhen Sports School, Shenzhen Table Tennis Association, Persimmon Universe Culture Media (model), Shenzhen Hanhai Blue Whale Cultural Media (model)
Prop Production: Yan Bingkai
Thanks: Shenzhen Observatory, BYD, wutong Mountain Scenic Area Management Office, Shenzhen Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning, China Merchants Cruise Line (No. 2, Dawan District), Shenzhen Masefield Fashion Co., Ltd., Cloud Sea Angel Bay, Shenzhen Metro Group Co., Ltd., Shenzhen Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Wave Rider Yacht Club, MIXC World HAUS NOWHERE, Futian Mangrove Nature Reserve, Shenzhen Dapeng Suocheng Scenic Area Operation and Management Co., Ltd., Happy Harbor Bay Area Light, Shenzhen Bay Sports Center, Seven Star Bay Yacht Club, Shenshan Sea Knight Equestrian Club, Guangming Culture and Art Center, Shenzhen Museum, Shenye Shangcheng Shenzhen Urban Cloud Living Room, Dameisha Coastal Park, Lianhua Mountain Park, Shenshan Xiaomo Fishing Port, Xiwan Mangrove Park, Hongqiao Park, Jinbeifang, Zhang Min, Xiong Fangzhi, Mouhua, Qiu Weiwei, Zhao Yipei, Fu Siqi, Charley Xia
