'Masters in the Forbidden City' to hit theatres on Dec 16

Director Xiao Han answers questions related to Masters in the Forbidden City from audiences at a film screening held in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, on Dec 4, 2016. [Photo/CRIENLISH.com]

A documentary film looking at relics and antiquity restoration professionals in China's Forbidden City is due for release in Chinese cinemas on December 16th.

Xiao Han is the director of Masters in the Forbidden City. He recently explained his film design:

"I wanted to tell world audiences a purely Chinese story via this film. This is the goal for not only Masters in Forbidden City, but also my other film projects."

As the only systematic documentary about the antiquities restoration of the Palace Museum, "Masters in the Forbidden City" is the first film to completely comb the history of Chinese antiquities restoration.

Masters in the Forbidden City, or "Wo Zai Gu Gong Xiu Wen Wu" ("我在故宫修文物") in Chinese, was originally a three-episode TV documentary broadcast in January 2016, on China Central Television.

The TV version also became an instant internet hit, receiving 2 million views and being rated by internet users as one of the most influential documentaries.

Also due for release on the 16th of December is Zhang Yimou's huge-budget production The Great Wall, which is estimated to be China's most expensive movie to date.

Responding to this, Xiao Han said he doesn't worry about the box office and would continue to shoot such documentaries in spite of the earnings.

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