Chinese romance dramas often stand out for their emotional storytelling, attractive leads, and beautifully designed city settings. The Early Spring (早春晴朗) takes that formula in a more realistic direction by placing its characters in actual neighborhoods, workplaces, streets, and landmarks rather than relying heavily on studio-built environments.
The 2026 Chinese workplace romance series follows Shang Zhitao, a young woman who moves to Beijing and begins her professional life at a prestigious advertising company. There, she meets Luan Nian, a talented but demanding creative executive. Their complicated relationship develops alongside their struggles with careers, independence, misunderstandings, and personal growth.
Starring Jing Boran as Luan Nian and Sun Qian as Shang Zhitao, The Early Spring was directed by Jiang Jizheng and written by Gao Xiaoxian. The series is adapted from the web novel of the same name by Gu Niang Bie Ku.
You May Also Like
One of the most interesting aspects of the production is its commitment to real-world filming. Instead of creating artificial versions of Beijing and Harbin inside studios, the production traveled to actual locations. The series was filmed primarily across Beijing and Harbin, with locations ranging from Beijing’s business districts and residential communities to historic Harbin landmarks and winter streets.
So, where exactly was The Early Spring filmed? Here’s a complete look at the major shooting locations and how each place contributes to the story.
The Early Spring Release Date
The Early Spring premiered on August 26, 2026. The 24-episode Chinese drama was released through Youku, while Netflix also began its international rollout around the same date.
The series stars:
- Jing Boran as Luan Nian
- Sun Qian as Shang Zhitao
- Liu Xiaobei as Sun Yuanzhu
- Qi Tianqing as Sun Yu
- Zhang Yezi as Lu Mi
- Ning Xin as Kitty
The story combines workplace drama and romance, following Shang Zhitao as she grows from an inexperienced newcomer into a more confident professional while developing a complicated relationship with Luan Nian.
Production reportedly began in September 2025 and continued through November, with the crew eventually wrapping the Harbin portion of filming later that year.
Where Was The Early Spring Filmed?
Beijing, China
The most important filming location for The Early Spring is Beijing.
Because much of the story follows Shang Zhitao’s professional life and her experience as a young person trying to establish herself in the capital, Beijing provides the natural backdrop for the majority of the show’s urban storyline.
The production filmed in real locations across the city rather than constructing the entire environment on soundstages. Beijing’s modern business districts provide the polished corporate atmosphere associated with Luan Nian’s advertising career, while residential areas show a much more ordinary side of life.
According to production coverage released around the premiere, the drama specifically used locations in Beijing’s central business district (CBD) as well as residential neighborhoods.
This contrast is important to the series. The story is not only about romance between two attractive characters; it is also about the difference between professional ambition and everyday life.
The CBD represents opportunity, competition, deadlines, and career pressure. The residential neighborhoods, meanwhile, show the practical reality of young people attempting to build a life in Beijing.
That combination helps the series feel closer to a contemporary urban drama than a traditional glossy romance.
Beijing CBD
One of the key parts of Beijing used for filming was the Central Business District.
The CBD is a natural choice for the workplace sections of The Early Spring. The story centers heavily on the advertising industry, and the characters spend a significant amount of time dealing with professional responsibilities.
Rather than creating a generic “big city” background, filming around Beijing’s actual business environment gives the office storyline greater authenticity.
The production’s visual design also deliberately separates the workplace from the characters’ private lives. The advertising company is presented with a cooler, more business-oriented visual style, reflecting the pressure and competitiveness of the corporate world.
For viewers, the real Beijing skyline and streets make the characters’ professional ambitions easier to understand. Shang Zhitao isn’t simply working in an imaginary television office—she is portrayed as another young professional trying to survive and progress in one of China’s biggest cities.
Tiantongyuan, Beijing
Perhaps the most talked-about Beijing filming location is Tiantongyuan.
The residential area became especially important because it represents Shang Zhitao’s early life in Beijing. Instead of portraying her as a struggling young worker living in an unrealistically luxurious apartment, the production filmed in an actual residential community.
Recent coverage reported that the crew filmed around Tiantongyuan East District 1 and West District 2, recreating the type of shared accommodation associated with the character’s early Beijing experience.
This decision attracted considerable attention after the series premiered.
The production retained everyday details such as older corridors, apartment doors, advertisements in residential areas, and other ordinary features of the neighborhood. These small details help communicate what life can feel like for a young person arriving in Beijing with limited experience and trying to establish a career.
Tiantongyuan therefore isn’t simply a background location. It has a narrative purpose.
It represents the beginning of Shang Zhitao’s journey.
She arrives in Beijing as an inexperienced newcomer, and her living environment reflects that stage of her life. As her career and personality develop, the contrast between her humble beginnings and her later confidence becomes more meaningful.
This is also one reason viewers have praised the show’s “real-life” atmosphere.
Harbin, Heilongjiang
The production later moved north to Harbin, in Heilongjiang Province.
Harbin is particularly important because the story eventually connects Shang Zhitao with her hometown and later stage of life. The city also gives the series a completely different visual identity from Beijing.
Where Beijing provides skyscrapers, offices, crowded residential communities, and a fast-paced professional atmosphere, Harbin offers historic architecture, winter scenery, warm interiors, and a stronger sense of home.
Production reports confirmed that the crew traveled to Harbin for winter-related sequences.
The timing created an interesting production challenge. When the crew filmed in November 2025, Harbin did not yet have enough natural snow for every scene. As a result, the production used artificial snow to create the required winter appearance.
The result is a visually distinctive section of the series that feels very different from the Beijing episodes.
Saint Sophia Cathedral Area
One of the recognizable Harbin locations featured in The Early Spring is the area around Saint Sophia Cathedral.
The cathedral and surrounding Architectural Art Square are among Harbin’s most recognizable historic areas, making them an effective backdrop for the drama’s winter sequences.
Production coverage specifically mentions filming around Saint Sophia Cathedral Square/Architectural Art Square.
The architecture also adds another layer to the show’s visual style.
The ornate historic buildings, winter atmosphere, and street scenes create a romantic setting that is dramatically different from the modern office towers of Beijing.
The location was also used during filming involving Jing Boran and Sun Qian, and photos from the production attracted attention because of the actors’ winter costumes against Harbin’s distinctive architecture.
For fans interested in the show’s most visually recognizable outdoor scenes, this is likely to be one of the locations that stands out.
Central Street, Harbin
Another major Harbin location is Central Street (Zhongyang Dajie).
The historic pedestrian street is one of the city’s best-known urban landmarks, and it appears in the production’s Harbin filming.
According to Harbin media coverage, the The Early Spring crew filmed scenes around Central Street during its winter production period.
The location works particularly well for the series because it combines architecture, public spaces, shops, pedestrians, and seasonal atmosphere.
The production also reportedly created a striking winter-fashion look for some of the scenes, with Jing Boran appearing in coats and other cold-weather clothing. Harbin’s architecture provided a natural cinematic background for those sequences.
Central Street consequently becomes more than a recognizable tourist attraction. It helps establish the emotional difference between the characters’ Beijing lives and the atmosphere of their return to Harbin.
Donghechang 1917 Wide Street Cultural Complex
Another distinctive Harbin filming location was the Donghechang 1917 Wide Street Cultural Complex.
This historic location received particular attention during production because the crew spent several days filming there.
Harbin Daily reported that the production completed a two-day shoot at Donghechang 1917, using its historic red-brick architecture and surrounding environment as part of the drama’s visual world.
The production also left some of its set-decoration elements behind, creating an unusual connection between the drama and the real location. The old architecture fits the warmer and more nostalgic side of the story, especially when compared with the colder corporate atmosphere of Beijing.
It is exactly the type of location that benefits from real-world filming because the texture of the old buildings would be difficult to reproduce convincingly in a generic studio set.
West 13th Street and the “Old Couple’s Tavern”
One of the most interesting specific locations used for the production was a traditional Russian-style private restaurant on West 13th Street in Harbin.
The production transformed the restaurant into a fictional location known in the story as the “Old Couple’s Tavern.”
According to local reports, the crew filmed at the restaurant for several days. The upstairs guesthouse was also transformed into the home of Shang Zhitao’s parents.
This is a great example of how The Early Spring used existing spaces instead of relying entirely on artificial sets.
The restaurant already had the architectural and cultural character required for the story. The production simply modified the environment to fit the characters and narrative.
The location also has an emotional connection to the story because Shang Zhitao eventually returns to her hometown and begins a different chapter of her life.
The warm restaurant environment therefore contrasts strongly with the corporate offices and colder personal spaces seen earlier in the story.
Jinlong Mountain
The Harbin filming journey concluded at Jinlong Mountain, another location associated with the production.
Harbin media reported that The Early Spring wrapped filming in the Jinlong Mountain area in November 2025.
The location provides a more natural environment compared with the urban streets of Central Street and the historic architecture around Saint Sophia Cathedral.
Its inclusion also demonstrates the variety of locations used during the Harbin portion of production.
The production did not simply film in one central tourist district. Instead, it moved between urban landmarks, residential and restaurant interiors, cultural spaces, and natural surroundings to create a fuller representation of the characters’ hometown environment.
Why Did The Early Spring Use So Many Real Locations?
The decision to film extensively on location appears to be closely connected to the show’s central themes.
The Early Spring is fundamentally about young people building careers, navigating relationships, and finding independence in modern China.
A completely artificial city would have made that story feel more detached.
By filming in actual Beijing neighborhoods, the production could show the contrast between a major corporate district and ordinary residential life. By moving to Harbin, it could create an equally important contrast between career-driven urban life and the familiarity of home.
Production coverage explicitly notes that the crew prioritized full-location shooting to capture a more realistic sense of everyday life.
The visual design reinforces this approach.
Luan Nian’s home uses darker, cooler tones that reflect his reserved personality. The office environment is more businesslike and controlled, while Shang Zhitao’s shared living space is warmer and more welcoming.
This means the locations and production design work together.
When Was The Early Spring Filmed?
Principal photography for The Early Spring took place during 2025.
Available production information places the filming period roughly between September and November 2025, beginning in Beijing before moving to Harbin for the winter sequences.
Harbin filming was particularly important because the production needed winter visuals. Local reports noted that the crew used artificial snow in November because natural snowfall had not yet completely covered the city.
The production reportedly wrapped its Harbin shoot at Jinlong Mountain in November 2025.
This timeline also explains why the finished series can present such convincing seasonal differences despite the relatively short production window.
So, where was The Early Spring filmed?
The series was filmed primarily in Beijing and Harbin, with the production deliberately choosing real locations to make the story feel grounded in contemporary life.
In Beijing, major filming areas included the CBD and Tiantongyuan, with Tiantongyuan playing a particularly important role in portraying Shang Zhitao’s early life as a young professional.
The production then traveled to Harbin, where scenes were filmed around Saint Sophia Cathedral and Architectural Art Square, Central Street, Donghechang 1917, West 13th Street, and Jinlong Mountain.
What makes these locations especially effective is the way they mirror the characters’ journey. Beijing represents ambition, work, competition, and independence, while Harbin represents home, memory, family, and a new emotional beginning.
Rather than treating the locations as simple scenery, The Early Spring uses them as part of its storytelling. The real neighborhoods, historic streets, winter landscapes, offices, and homes help show how Shang Zhitao and Luan Nian change over time.
For viewers who enjoy discovering the real places behind their favorite dramas, The Early Spring offers plenty to explore. Its two-city filming approach gives the series a distinctly authentic visual identity—and helps explain why the drama feels more like a story taking place in a real world than a romance unfolding on a collection of studio sets.
Related – Know About Against the Ropes Series Filming Locations
