The production's stated philosophy was to film in real spaces to "最大程度还原年轻人的真实成长环境" (maximally restore young people's real growth environments). Only two studio stages in Beijing served as controlled environments for the most frequently repeated interiors (probably the office and one of the apartments), while all exteriors, street scenes, and Harbin sequences were shot on location.

The actual approach was: "全实景拍摄" (all real location shooting)

Therefore, the three core interior environments were real locations dressed and lit to achieve specific visual identities, not purpose-built studio sets:

What was NOT studio-built and how studio sets were used otherwise :

• Office scenes → filmed on location in Beijing's real CBD :

The largest agency in Beijing, the Dentsu China Network is alsof the #1 advertising agency in China. Founded in 1994, this firm serves as a critical bridge for international brands seeking to navigate the complex Chinese market, leveraging the global scale of Dentsu Inc.." "With a workforce ranging from 150 to over 5,000 employees across Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, Beijing Dentsu offers end-to-end standardized methodologies adapted for local nuances. They are particularly renowned for their work in automotive, beauty, FMCG, and technology sectors." It is located in the Fuhua Building at Chaoyangmen N Ave, 8号, 富华大厦F座F-11, 邮政编码: 100010 n Dongcheng district of Beijing.

But the opening scene shows Luan Nian and Shang Zhitao crossing path in front of the atrium of the Asia Financial Center & AIIB Headquarters in Beijing, China, a new building built 2013-2016, and positioned prominently in the city, marking the end of the north–south axis through Beijing’s Olympic Park. It is close to the National Stadium ("Bird's Nest") in the Olympics Park. (Address: Tower A, Asia Financial Center, No.1 Tianchen East Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing)

Later, Luan Nian's office window views revealed that the filming location used for his office was in the Beijing Kerry Centre (specifically the North or South Office Tower), situated at 1 Guanghua Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing.

Nevertheless, the production only stated that they had used mostly "real locations across the CBD" rather than a single named tower, and the specific building for interior office work hasn't been publicly confirmed. It probably was a composite of coworking rental space locations in CP Center, Kerry Center, etc, in addition to the very recognizable Asia Financial Center lobby.

Fuhua Building

Luan Nian and Alex , at "Linmei advertising company" ep.6 screenshot

ep.6 screenshot : meeting room at "Linmei"

Lumi and Tracy meet Shang Zhitao, ep.1 screenshot

ep.1 The antique Rheinmetall German typewriter which SZT knocked down, losing the L key

(source of above and below pictures)

CP Center lobby. CP Centre North Tower is a preferred choice for companies seeking to rent coworking space in an international office ecosystem.

ep1 screenshot : Luan Nian and Shang Zhitao first crossing path on the reception floor of "Linmei" (using AIIB Headquarters atrium in Beijing)

ep2 : Luan Nian's office, showing the iconic CCTV tower through the window, left, and the typewriter, right, used the Kerry Centre on Guanghua Lu.

zoom on the leg of the CCTV tower, left, above,

Kerry center [嘉里中心 Jiālǐ Zhōngxīn] entrance (source of picture)

Left : Guanghua Lu below 3rd ring-road and CCTV tower (nicknamed "Big underpants 大裤衩 dà kùchǎ"), which is about 500 m from Kerry center (source of picture), traffic going in the direction of the 国贸 Guómào World Trade Center complex, now including including the China World Tower (also known as Tower 1), a 330-meter, 74-story skyscraper completed in 2010

ep.7 screenshot : iconic CBD towers near the CCTV tower. To the right, north tower of the twin-towers CP Center 正大中心 Zhèngdà Zhōngxīn; to the left China Life Financial center 中国人寿金融中心 ; behind those stands CITIC tower nicknamed 中国尊 Zhōngguó Zūn (Beijing's tallest building) .

Note : on June 27, 2026, a 66 year old private pilot with mental problems hit it with his small plane, escaping detection while flying from Pinggu suburb, wounding 13 people and damaging the facade on point of impact. (Beijing airspace is tightly restricted against aircraft fly-over, although drones were allowed except over the center of the city, and commercial aircraft of course land and take off from the two airports, of which Capital International PEK is the oldest, Daxing PKX is larger and newest.)

• Shang Zhitao's shared apartment → filmed in Tiantongyuan (real residential community)

Ep.6 screenshot : Shang Zhitao's bedroom in the shared apartment

Sun Yu and Shang Zhitao, ep.6

Tiantongyuan residences (Wikimedia)

and screenshots of Shang Zhitao's arrival at Tiantong Dongyuan Yiqu #54 archway

Ep.7 screenshot .Tiantongyuan station on Line 5

• Luan Nian's home → real location (darker, cooler-toned apartment)

From the repeated stock shot of Linked Hybrid (also locally known as Contemporary MOMA or Dangdai MOMA) and the layout of the balcony less apartment, I was convinced this was the building, but another commentator found it was Vanke NAVA serviced apartments in Lufthansa quarter.

Vanke NAVA (万科NAVA) is a luxury residential apartment complex in Beijing, located in the Lufthansa Center area along the North Fourth Ring Road in Chaoyang District with minimalist Art Deco interiors, 3.5 m ceiling heights, underfloor heating, fresh-air systems, and large undivided floor-to-ceiling windows. It is is part of the broader Vanke development portfolio in Beijing, often associated with the Beijing Vanke Center area. It is marketed as a residential or mixed-use space, with listings indicating various unit sizes and pricing tiers.

"This high-end residential complex designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel serves as the luxury apartment home of the elite advertising director Luan Nian (played by Jing Boran). It is one of the key filming locations used to contrast his high-end, elite lifestyle with Shang Zhitao's humble "北漂" (Beijing drifter) shared apartment in Tiantongyuan."

Note: there is another Vanke NAVA (Beixiaoying) 万科大都会NAVA building on the north part of the 4th ring road, developed between 2016 and 2022.

(source of picture) Linked Hybrid

ep 6 screenshot of grey/silver cantilevered glass skybridge timelapse with people walking inside

ep.6 Linked Hybrid at dawn timelapse screenshot.

(source of picture)

Interior picture of a 1 bedroom apartment, Vanke NAVA

Vanke 万科 NAVA, Lufthansa quarter near Chaoyang park, (source of picture) Address: 1 Nongzhan South Road, Building A (Nongzhan Nanlu Jia 1 Hao)

It is a transformation of an existing building into a apartment complex. The colorful palette used for the exterior windows panels of the building were designed by architect Jean Nouvel, inspired by Forbidden City tones like gold, red, blue, and green and facade greenery designed to "look like a forest waterfall".

ep.5 screenshots : Luan Nian's living room

SZT exits the NAVA residence (logo etched on the glass behind her) after her drunken night

• "Switzerland" scenes → filmed in Harbin (Jinlongshan 金龙山 national forest park, a real location, not a studio set, 35 km (22 mi) southeast of the urban area of Harbin)

• The mudslide scenes at the "filming site in the mountains" in ep.3 was also filmed there.

• But I think the exclusive restaurant in ep.4 was located in Beijing, in the northern suburbs towards Cuigezhuang or further up in Shunyi or Miyun : there are some places that look like that with low buildings and relatively recent tree plantations.

ep.3 screenshots : the mountain road

SZT saving Luan Nian from the mudslide

ep4 screenshot : the secret restaurant of his friend Tan,t where LN "taught SZT how to fish".

• All Harbin winter sequences → real locations :

Some of the biggest landmarks have formed the backdrops for the series. The square around Saint Sophia Cathedral and the historic pedestrian strip of Central Street (Zhongyang Dajie) can be seen in some scenes. The Donghechang 1917, a restored red-brick cultural complex in Harbin, has also served as a shooting location. A real, traditional Russian-style restaurant on Harbin’s West 13th Street was repurposed on-screen as the fictional Old Couple’s Tavern. " (source)

• Studio shots

The studio work was essentially a cost-saving strategy: three "impossible" travel destinations (Phuket, Tibet, Northwest, Guangzhou in ep.2) were compressed into one Beijing soundstage, while everything in Beijing and Harbin was shot on location. The "locations" of the non Beijing or Harbin shots were simply signaled by stock pictures of iconic landmarks, sometimes revealing that these far away locations were not used (even showing places in Beijing instead!)

Ep.2 screenshots : Playing tricks with audience : this was in fact the Ping An Finance Centre located in Shenzhen instead of "Guangzhou" as labeled in the drama. And after the business dinner, the stroll along the river was in fact filmed along Bahe river in Beijing ! (more about it here)

坝河 Ba He (Ba river) : This new ecological waterfront landmark integrates diverse functions—including ecology, culture, tourism, and consumption. The Bahe River originates at the Northeast Moat (near the Hepingjie Zhuanjiaolou Nanli community) and flows into the Wenyu River, covering a total length of 21.7 kilometers; the section above runs from Jiuxianqiao Road (near 798 Art Zone) to Langyuan station on Line 14 of the Beijing Metro. (The part pictured is close to the Indigo commercial complex on No. 18 Jiuxianqiao Road).