Taiwan actress Sandrine Pinna plays Yang Yuhuan, the legendary concubine. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Yang is one of the most legendary women in Chinese history, and her story has inspired dozens of movies and TV series over the decades.

Chen's latest film stands out for its gorgeous scenes, which bring to life the former Chinese imperial capital Chang'an (now Xi'an in Shaanxi province) of 1,300 years ago, when it was the world's most populous city.

So impressive are the sets that an online poll titled "Does the depiction of the Tang Dynasty in the Legend of the Demon Cat match your imagination?" has drawn in nearly 43,000 netizens, making the film and its sets one of the most-discussed topics on Douban, also the country's most popular review site.

"The movie may have some flaws in the storytelling and characters, but it is a visual feast re-creating the prosperous dynasty in ancient China," says one netizen, whose comment is echoed by many viewers.

With a budget of around 250 million yuan, Legend of the Demon Cat was shot mainly in Tang Cheng, a theme park with Tang-style architecture in Xiangyang, Hubei province.

The 170 million yuan complex was built for the film, and Chen was intimately involved in it.

Meanwhile, though most Hollywood blockbusters these days use computers to create a wonderland, Chen insisted on the old-school way with real-life sets.

For instance, he had 20,000 trees planted to create a lush view, besides building some palaces with round roofs and arch-like walls to symbolize the sun and the moon, to represent the power of imperial rulers.

"The set is like a child to me. I watched it transform from a dry image on paper to a dynamic place. It realized my dream of re-creating the Tang Dynasty on the big screen," says Chen at a promotional event.