Xi's Travelogue: Exploring the Birthplace of Magic – Into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

This travelogue is Xi's report from June 2012 during the London Olympics, when she interviewed Olympic champions as a reporter for Rayli. There are three entries in total, taking you on a thorough tour of London City.

Before the travelogue starts...

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Our impression of the UK is always tinged with a strong literary flair. Besides the literary giant Shakespeare, the one loved and known by more young people is none other than J.K. Rowling. She was voted the most influential woman in the UK by the "National Magazine Company," surpassing even the Queen! All of this is thanks to her creation of Harry Potter. The Harry Potter series has been translated into nearly seventy languages and has sold over 450 million copies in more than 200 countries!

It has countless loyal fans worldwide. Whether you are a Potterhead or not, when you stand in the castle of Harry Potter, I believe you will be deeply fascinated by this magical world that has amazed the globe. They always say that girls should go far and see the world. So, if you have a love for the films, follow Sister Xi to explore the filming locations of Harry Potter. Let's go!

From central London, take the subway and transfer to a train. It takes about an hour to reach the Harry Potter Studio Tour. When you arrive, the entrance is packed with people, very lively. The audio guides are available in eight languages, including Chinese.

Upon closer inspection, you'll find that each audio guide is actually an iPod touch.

Perhaps to prevent people from getting bored while queuing, the staircase where young Harry lived is placed right next to the entrance, so people can take photos while waiting. Seeing this scene instantly reminded me of the first Harry Potter book I owned. Young Harry lived here, in the cupboard under the stairs at his aunt's house. I still vividly remember him locking himself in here after getting that awful haircut!

Entering the venue, you first see a very comfortable cinema. Everyone sits here to watch a short explanatory film of about three minutes. Then the curtain slowly rises, revealing a golden door behind it, and the Harry Potter journey begins. It is extremely exhilarating. The entire studio tour includes live displays of over 20 scenes from Harry Potter. Can't wait? Let's embark on this fantastic journey together!

Diagon Alley, which made a stunning appearance in the first film. It is the most important street in the wizarding world in Harry Potter. Hidden in a small courtyard behind the Leaky Cauldron in London, you can enter by tapping the brick above the trash can with your wand. It is a cobblestone street, where many top wizarding brand stores have their "flagship stores." The economy of the wizarding world is also thriving!

This is the office of Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Gryffindor. One of my favorite characters in the Harry Potter series! When Dumbledore died, I wonder how many tears of Potterheads were shed!

When it comes to Gryffindor, the common room is indispensable. I wonder if the Rayli sisters had to say the password to the portrait of the Fat Lady when they visited here? The Gryffindor common room has many comfortable, soft armchairs. Scattered desks are piled with spellbooks of stressed and tired students. Two staircases are separate – one leads to the girls' dormitory and the other to the boys' dormitory. But there's a little secret: during Fred and George's party, the two staircases were connected!

This is the legendary Great Hall of Hogwarts! This hall is a major setting in the films. The young protagonists have meals here every day, and many of Harry Potter's and his friends' plans were formed during meals in the Great Hall. The annual Welcoming Feast for new students, the Sorting Ceremony to assign new students to their houses, Christmas dinner, and the Yule Ball for international wizarding schools are all held in this Great Hall. The prototype of this hall is the Christ Church Hall (also called "the Great Hall") at the world-famous University of Oxford in England.

Look what we found here! The Sorting Hat that decides everyone's fate! It sent Harry to the righteous Gryffindor and Draco Malfoy to the dark-arts-laden Slytherin.

And Ron's dad's car! Don't underestimate it. Although it's not a luxury sports car, it can fly! Harry and Ron once drove it to catch the Hogwarts Express!

Behind are the villain leaders of the series! The second from the left is the legendary Dark Lord, the despicable Voldemort! First from the left is Bellatrix Lestrange: Sirius Black's cousin, a notorious Death Eater and sadist. On the right are the Malfoys, father and son, both minions of Voldemort.

The entire studio tour is divided into indoor and outdoor parts. Outside, they sell the mouthwatering "Butterbeer" from the Harry Potter stories, and it tastes fantastic! Butterbeer is Harry Potter's favorite drink. The price is also quite steep – a small cup costs 3 pounds!

The latter part of the exhibition showcases a complete model of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, incredibly beautiful, and it is the highlight of the whole exhibition. Many visitors sit in front of this model for a long time. Endless praise fills the air.

Of course, the fun doesn't end so simply. At the end of the approximately three-hour studio tour, there is a large Harry Potter shop selling all kinds of candies and snacks mentioned in the stories. The purple box at the bottom contains Chocolate Frogs, each pack comes with a collectible wizard card. Harry used this to first learn about Professor Dumbledore. There are also jars of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. They can have any flavor, such as spinach, liver, tripe, curry... and even vomit-flavored ones. Adventurous people bring them to our Muggle world. Although they sell for about $9 on Amazon, we still really want to try them!

Of course, there are also wizard robes from various schools, wands used by the main characters, etc. Everywhere you hear children coaxing their mothers to buy things. The prices are also high, because these are the most authentic original products! Even the editors, who had been reluctant to spend for days, couldn't resist buying a few interesting souvenirs!

Everything here feels so real, with details everywhere. Every item is handmade, as if you've truly arrived in the magical world. If photos aren't enough to satisfy you, then come and experience it yourself!