Home >> News

China's film industry emerges from outbreak with successful plot

Updated: 2020-11-03 08:20:06

( Xinhua )

Tourists line up to have their temperature taken and health app checked before entering a scenic spot featuring a Qin Dynasty-style palace at Hengdian World Studios in April. [Photo provided to China Daily]

HANGZHOU-Xu Xiao's busy day started when all the 80-plus horses on his horse farm were booked out for movie and television shoots at Hengdian World Studios, known as the "Chinese Hollywood", in East China's Zhejiang province.

"I have been engaged in the film industry for more than 30 years, and I have rarely been as busy as I am now," says Xu, manager of the horse farm at the studios, one of China's biggest film and TV program production centers and a barometer of the film industry.

This time last year, film crews needed a maximum of 30 horses each day.

Film shoots were suspended for several months in Hengdian due to the COVID-19 outbreak. With the epidemic waning, however, film and teleplay crews have been rushing back to resume production.

According to statistics from Hengdian World Studios, October saw 47 film and teleplay crews filming and 65 making preparations, a year-on-year increase of 67 percent and 41 percent, respectively.

Due to a surge in film shoots, extras are also in high demand.

1 2 Next
Editor's Pick
Hot words

The 15th Chinese Film Festival in Bangkok and the 2020 China-Thailand Film Exchange Week opens at the China Cultural Center in Bangkok on Oct 25, 2020. [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org]

On Oct 25, the opening ceremony of the 15th Chinese Film Festival in Bangkok and the 2020 China-Thailand Film Exchange Week was held at the China Cultural Center in Bangkok. The event was hosted by the China Cultural Center in Bangkok and received strong support from the Chinese Embassy in Thailand and the Thai Ministry of Culture.

The COVID-19 pandemic doesn't impede the enthusiasm for cultural exchange between China and Thailand. This film festival uses live broadcast to present the opening ceremony and host the "China-Thailand Film Exchange and Cooperation Online Seminar". During the film festival, audiences can use the online platform of the China Cultural Center in Bangkok to watch films online, which greatly increases the global reach of the festival.

Gu Hongxing, director of the China Cultural Center in Bangkok and China Tourism Office in Bangkok, speaks at the opening ceremony. [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org]

Gu Hongxing, director of Bangkok's China Cultural Center and China Tourism Office, said film can not only introduce one's national culture, but also reflect unique social landscapes. Film has become an important part of cultural exchange between countries and enhance mutual understanding among people around the world.


Yang Xin, Chargé d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand, speaks at the opening ceremony. [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org]

Yang Xin, Chargé d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand, said since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand 45 years ago, the mutual trust between the two countries has continued to deepen, economic and trade cooperation has expanded, cultural exchanges have become closer, and all-around cooperation has achieved fruitful results. Both China and Thailand have a vast film market. As a traditional project of cultural exchanges between China and Thailand, the Bangkok Chinese Film Festival has laid a solid foundation for film cooperation between the two countries for 15 years and will add new drive to the promotion of cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and Thailand.

Itthiphol Kunplome, Thailand's minister of culture, speaks at the opening ceremony. [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org]

Thailand's Minister of Culture Itthiphol Kunplome said in his speech the governments and people of Thailand and China have been in constant exchange. Cooperation in various fields has developed steadily, and the film festival is another important event to further promote cultural exchanges between the two countries. The people of the two countries can promote their understanding of the cultures of both sides through films, and promote friendly relations and cooperation in other perspectives.

Most Popular