Promoting culture via the big screen

Veteran actor Zhang Hanyu is among the star-studded cast of Zhang Yimou's latest film The Great Wall.

The Great Wall, a $150 million Sino-US coproduction featuring Matt Damon and Andy Lau, could arouse the curiosity of global movie fans about China's history. Xu Fan reports.

As a lackluster year for the movie industry is about to end, the spotlight is now on an upcoming fantasy epic, The Great Wall. The $150 million Sino-US coproduction, believed to be the biggest budget film shot entirely in China, is also being seen as a new way to tell a Chinese story to the world.

Zhang Yimou, one of China's top directors, says the chance to use Hollywood storytelling skills to popularize Chinese history and culture is why he agreed to direct this film, also the biggest-budget movie he has done.

Speaking at a recent event to promote the film, Zhang says: "Every year, more than 2 million foreign tourists visit the Great Wall, but the film will give at least 100 million across the world a chance to see this grand, magnificent structure. I believe the Great Wall will be the main attraction for moviegoers around the world."

The film, which features a celebrity-studded cast ranging from Oscar-winner Matt Damon to Hong Kong singer-actor Andy Lau, will hit Chinese theaters on Friday and open in the United States in February next year.