American Family Entertainment

and the Only Child Generation

in Contemporary Urban China

Ting He

Submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

University of East Anglia
School of Film, Television & Media Studies

Submitted April 2013

©This copy of the thesis has been supplied on condition that anyone who
consults it is understood to recognise that its copyright rests with the
author and that no quotation from the thesis, nor any information derived
therefrom, may be published without the author's prior, written consent.
Acknowledgements

First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor team, Mr

Peter Kramer and Prof Mark Jancovich, for their always insightful suggestions and

expert guidance. It has been a privilege and memorable experience to work with both

of them. I am also grateful to Rayna Denison, who provided many comments and

suggestions on my work during my upgrade panel. I would also like to thank Dr

Melanie Williams and Dr Andrew Willis for their valuable feedback from the viva

exam.

My special thanks go to the PhD students of my school, Erin Giannini, Oliver

Gruner, Antonella Palmieri, Seb Manley, Vincent Gaine, Derek Johnson, Rachel

Mizsei Ward, Heather Wintle and everyone else involved in the PhD seminars over

the past years for their comments and suggestions on the papers I have presented in

these seminars.

Lastly, but most of all, thanks to my parents, He Yuansheng and Pan Jie, my

husaband, Zhang Yu, for their unconditional love and support, without which this

thesis would have never come into being.

Abstract

As a result of the economic reform which took place three decades ago, imported

American family entertainment had gradually become an important part of the

everyday entertainment for Chinese consumers. During the same period, a particular

group of Chinese people, generally referred to as the post-80s or the only child

generation, had emerged, grown up and become the main contributors to China’s

media consumption.

In this thesis, a study of the only child generation and the American family

entertainment will be presented. The study sees the only child generation as groups

of audience exposed to American family entertainment as the media, and the focus of

this study is to understand the audience-media relationship between the two. As they

are two objects emerged within their own social and cultural boundaries, the thesis

will first tackle how the connection between the audience and the media was

established. Then, the only child generation will be approached as a social creation.

Findings on their social sophistications that are able to influence their relationship to

media will be presented. Four case studies form the reset of the thesis. Each of the

case studies will focus on one significant aspect of the generation’s social

characteristics and how it is connected to the group’s receptions to media texts.

i
Table of Contents

Abstract ......................................................................................................................... i
Table of Contents ......................................................................................................... ii
Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1
Global Hollywood, American Family Film and China ............................................ 4
The Open Door Policy, Entertainment Import and Chinese Media ......................... 8
The Only Child Generation .................................................................................... 12
Methodologies and Resources ................................................................................ 18
Contributions .......................................................................................................... 23
Chapter 1 American Entertainment in Urban China since 1978 ................................ 25
Pre-1994: Television as the Window of the World ................................................ 26
1994-2001: Have you seen the “Dapian”? ............................................................. 34
Post-2001: Opened Door = Free Market? .............................................................. 42
Lessons for Hollywood .......................................................................................... 56
Chapter 2 Only Child Generation – A Mediation Model ........................................... 62
The Emergence and Rise of the Only Child Generation ........................................ 63
Entertainment for the OCG .................................................................................... 67
The Family as They Know It .................................................................................. 71
Tomboy, to Be or Not to Be ................................................................................... 76
Struggling in the Mass Production of Education .................................................... 82
Nostalgia: a Tribute to Childhood .......................................................................... 88
Chapter 3 Disney, The Lion King and China’s “Little Emperors” ............................ 94
Disney’s Image in China ........................................................................................ 94
Disney’s Journey in China...................................................................................... 99
Disney in Chinese Market .................................................................................... 107
The Lion King: a Legend of Disney in China ...................................................... 115
Chapter 4 Mulan: Disney’s Chinese Heroine .......................................................... 132
Disney’s Reconstruction of Mulan ....................................................................... 134
Who Is that Girl I See ........................................................................................... 142
Cultural Enrichment and its Implications in Reception ....................................... 151
Chapter 5 Harry Potter: Tailored Education vs. Mass Education ............................ 156
ii
 Reading Harry Potter in Urban China .................................................................. 157
Harry Potter Films in Chinese Market.................................................................. 165
Why Didn’t I Go to a School Like That? ............................................................. 175
Chapter 6 Transformers: the Power of Memories .................................................... 185
Transformers – from TV to the Cinema ............................................................... 186
Science Fiction in Chinese Cinema ...................................................................... 192
Transformers Toys: Memories and Self-Fashioned Identities ............................. 198
Memories, Nostalgia and Reception..................................................................... 202
Conclusions .............................................................................................................. 211
Appendix A. Imported American Films (Revenue-Sharing Basis) and Top 10
Chinese Domestic Films (1994-2001) ..................................................................... 218
Appendix B. Imported American Films and Top 10 Chinese Domestic Films (2002-
2010) ........................................................................................................................ 233
Appendix C. Disney Focus Group ........................................................................... 262
Appendix D. Transformers Focus Group ................................................................. 264
Bibliography............................................................................................................. 265
Primary Sources: Newspapers, Magazines, Yearbooks and Websites ................. 265
Secondary Literature ............................................................................................ 266

iii
Introduction

It is not very surprising that, up until the end of 2008, the world record keeper

Titanic (1997) was still the most commercially successful film that had ever been

screened in China,1 but it may be unexpected to some that the second most successful

film at the Chinese box office was Transformers (2007), the No. 30 in the table of

all-time worldwide grosses at that time.2 Why does it appeal so much to Chinese

audiences? A report from Beijing Review sheds some light on this, pointing out that

“people who are crazy for this film are actually not the kids, but those who were born

in the late 1970s or the early 1980s”.3 An article from Shanghai Daily goes a step

deeper, claiming that “their memories of the cartoon TV series Transformers in the

1980s attracted them to the film”.4 It is believed that, starting from 1988,

Transformer cartoons and related merchandise had been gradually burned into the

childhood memories of nearly a generation of Chinese people.5

The success of Transformers demonstrates the power of a special group of

audiences in urban China. They belong to the generation of people who were born

right after the establishment of China’s “One Child Policy” in the late 1970s. Lu

Taihong, a Chinese professor of marketing studies, defines this generation as the

1
Unless stated otherwise, China refers to Mainland China.
2
The box office data come from: Box Office Mojo, Worldwide Grosses,
<http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/world/> [accessed 13 Aug. 2008].
3
Anon., “Transformers in China: A 20-year Retrospective”, Beijing Review, 12/07/2007,
<http://www.bjreview.com.cn/movies/txt/2007-07/12/content_69143.htm> [accessed 10 Apr. 2008].
4
Anon., “Cartoon spin-off tops Spidey box office”, Shanghai Daily, 17/07/2007,
<http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/?id=323579&type=Metro> [accessed 12 Apr. 2008].
5
The translated and dubbed version of Transformers (TV cartoons) was first aired in China in May
1988 by Shanghai Television.

1
Only Child Generation (OCG).6 According to his definition, the OCG is the first

generation that has grown up under the reform and opening up era of China since late

1978, which also means it is the first generation that is exposed to foreign products

such as American family entertainment in a massive scale. The Transformers

phenomenon, which is only one of the many examples, indicates a long-term

interaction between the OCG and American family entertainment. It makes me

wonder how so strong a bond is formed. What does American family entertainment

bring into the life of the OCG? What meanings do the OCG make out of the media

messages in the entertainment? What is the relationships between the OCG and

American family entertainment and why? Based on my studies of the above

Transformers phenomenon and other cases that are all presented in this thesis, I want

to argue that American family entertainment has a strong appeal for the OCG and

plays an important role in their life, which is partly due to the internal development

of China and partly due to the special qualities of American family entertainment.

The thesis starts with the study of American entertainment in urban china since

1978. As the first chapter, it investigates how the American entertainment products

enter and perform in the Chinese market and summarises the key patterns during the

last 30 years of their development in China. By means of analysing industrial data

and reviewing relevant literature, this chapter not only provides an overview of the

research background but also introduces the main issues that are relevant to my study

of OCG’s reception to American entertainment. The second chapter focuses on the

Only Child Generation from a perspective that sees them as a social creation. By

adopting a mediation model of the audience-media relationship, this chapter sets out

6
Lu, Taihong, Zhang, Hongming and Yang, Ji, “Zhongguo Dushengdai (Chinese Only Child
Generation)”, China Marketing, 05(2004), <http://www.emkt.com.cn/article/285/28555.html>
[accessed 20 May 2008].

2
to form the schemata with which the OCG’s reception to American family

entertainment can be understood. Case studies are presented from Chapter 3 to

Chapter 6 to reinforce my arguments. Each of these case studies has its own focus.

Chapter 3 is a case study of The Lion King (1994) which is presented to support my

arguments from social and family perspectives. As a representative piece of work by

Disney, the film is also studied with a focus on Disney-branded entertainment

products in China. A case study of Mulan (1998) is presented in Chapter 4, which

focuses on female protagonists, female audiences and culture transitions in films.

Chapter 5 covers the reception studies of Harry Potter series, which is linked with

the OCG’s education experiences. As the last to be represented in this thesis, Chapter

6 is the case study of Transformers series. It tackles Sci-Fi topics in films and

nostalgia of OCG audiences and how they influence the reception of these films.

The rest of this chapter focuses on introducing the key objects and issues that are

to be discussed in detail in the later chapters. Relevant works are also reviewed.

Firstly, an overview of American family entertainment, Hollywood family films in

particular, is given in the context of globalization. The Open Door Policy is

introduced secondly. It is the reason why American entertainment products become

legally available to Chinese consumers and inevitably influences the formation and

status of contemporary Chinese media environment including the importation of

entertainment products. Thirdly, the Only Child Generation is introduced. Popular

arguments about this special generation are reviewed, which shows that the OCG has

been brought to the attention of some scholars but is still insufficiently studied,

especially when they are considered as audiences. At the end of this chapter,

methodologies and resources that are used in the research are described.

Contributions of this work are also stated in final section of the chapter.

3
Global Hollywood, American Family Film and China

“Hollywood is a place you can’t geographically define. We don’t really know where

it is.” This is a famous comment given by John Ford when interviewed by BBC

television back to 1964 and quoted by many in Hollywood related works suggesting

that Hollywood, rather than a geographical location, should perhaps be best

understood as a state of mind.7 People have long believed that Hollywood studios

and their products are destined to go global. And they have. In 1998, Jack Valenti

stated, “It is a fact, blessedly confirmed, that the American movies is affectionately

received by audiences of all races, cultures and creeds on all continents.”8 In addition

to seeing Hollywood as a globalized business, many have realised that it is also a

symbol of American culture. In their first edition of Global Hollywood, the authors

set out to explain the success of Hollywood, both nationally and internationally, from

multiple perspectives on “Hollywood’s power and the immensity of US popular

culture”.9 In Global Hollywood 2, an updated and enriched edition from the previous

one, also includes Hollywood globalization with respect to China which is one of the

major contexts of my research.

Film, like many other forms of entertainment, has both industrial and cultural

aspects. Studies on Hollywood film in China are also focused on these two aspects

and are sometimes mixed with political issues. On the industrial side, debates are

often found to be around the competition between Hollywood and the domestic film

industry. Jinhua Dai is among the first few Chinese scholars that warns the invasion

7
Rosen, Stanley, Hollywood, Globalization and Film Markets in Asia: Lessons for China, p.2-3,
<http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic152447.files/rosen_Hollywood.pdf> [accessed 10 July
2011].
8
Valenti, Jack, “Collapse of the Common Wisdom: How Movies Beat the Competition! A Recounting
of a Very Good Year”, MPA Press Release, March 10, 1998.
9
Miller, Toby, et al., Global Hollywood (London: BFI Publishing, 2001), p.1.

4
of Hollywood and its potential negative impact on the local film industry. She refers

to Hollywood as “the wolf” and is deeply concerned about the fate of the already-

weakened Chinese cinema.10 Similarly, Stanley Rosen, in his paper titled The Wolf at

the Door, sets out to examine the impact of Hollywood blockbuster imports on

Chinese film industry. However, he also points out that in the game between

Hollywood and China, there are periods of optimism and pessimism on each side.11

Ting Wang, in Global Hollywood 2, reveals that, the imbalance in box office

between Hollywood films and Chinese domestic films is massive; however, due to

the fact that the imports are based on shared revenue, the real return for Hollywood

companies shrinks significantly. After all the tax, cut and other fees, there is only

about 13 per cent from the box office left for the Hollywood distributors as opposed

to their typical 40 to 50 per cent return elsewhere.12 It is not a secret that the Chinese

government is determined to keep the Chinese film market “relatively separate” from

the free global market. According to Hong Yin, the Chinese government is likely to

keep excluding film from trade liberalization for the foreseeable future. He further

argues that, although it is not strong enough to “dance with the wolves”, if the

government policies and measures, which claim to be imposed to maintain political

autonomy, also act as industrial protections, the Chinese film industry still has time

and space for self-development.13

10
Dai, Jinhua, “Tiaozhan dayu jiyu: Shiji zhijiao de zhongguo dianying (Challenge more than
opportunities: Chinese film on entering the new century)”, a speech at National Museum of Modem
Chinese Literature, January 6, 2002. <http://www.china.com.cn/chinese/RS/99464.htm> [accessed 10
July 2011].
11
Rosen, Stanley, “‘The wolf at the door’: Hollywood and the film market in china from 1994-2000”,
in Southern California and the World, ed. by E.J. Heikkila and R. Pizarro (Westport: Greenwood
Publishing Group, 2002), pp.49-78.
12
Miller, Toby, et al., Global Hollywood 2 (London: BFI Publishing, 2005), p.321.
13
Yin, Hong, Kuayue bainian: quanqiuhua beijing xia de zhongguo dianying (Over the century:
Chinese cinema in globalization) (Beijing: Tsinghua University Press, 2007), p.53-54.

5
 In the context of culture, discussions often associate the global operation of

Hollywood with “Americanization” which is also referred to as “Cultural

Imperialism”.14 Many debates are based on this point of view. Wai-lim Yip argues

that, to the deepest and widest extent, the cultural imperialism of the US is executed

in China by means of Hollywood film.15 Some believed that the importation of

Hollywood entertainment is causing the Chinese people to lose their cultural

identities.16 Without completely opposing the above argument, it is also argued that,

due to the censorship enforced by the Chinese government, all the changes have

happened as ‘a result of Chinese decisions’ rather than of Western influence.17

Meanwhile, some are confident in resisting the cultural imperialism. It is claimed by

Hong Yin that, it is hardly possible for Hollywood film to expel the enthusiasm of

the Chinese people on their local reality, experience and culture. With such “cultural

intimacy”, the domestic films are able to keep a foothold in the challenging market. 18

In the list of worldwide box office grosses of all time, nine films out of ten can

be put into the same category which includes big names such as Toy Story 3 (2010),

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011) and Transformers: Dark of the

Moon (2011).19 This category is first defined and introduced by Robert Allen as a

genre in a non-traditional sense named as “family film”. It includes realistic

comedies, adventure fantasies, animated films and live action/animated hybrids and

has become a “discursive marker for a set of film producing practices with the aim of

14
Miller, Toby, et al., 2005, p.64.
15
Yip, Wai-lim, “Colonialism, Culture, Industry and Desire”, in Postcolonial Criticism and Cultural
Identity, ed. by Chingyuen Chang (Taiwan: Catcher Publishing Co., Ltd., 1998), pp.142-143.
16
Zhou, Shuo, ‘Lun waiguo dianying dui jindai Beijing shehui de yingxiang’ (The influence of
Foreign Films in Beijing), Journal of Capital Normal University (Social Sciences Edition), S2(2006),
pp.75-76.
17
Starr, John Bryan, Understanding China (London: Profile, 1998), p.317.
18
Yin, Hong, 2007, p.52.
19
Box Office Mojo, Worldwide Grosses, <http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/world/> [accessed 13
Aug. 2010]

6
maximising marketability and profitability by achieving what can be called the cross-

generational appeal”.20 In fact, Hollywood family films are identified as the most

successful products in the international film market, in both theatres and video

rent/sale, since 1970s.21

As an important part of China’s American family entertainment import,

Hollywood family film is the main object of my study. Among the first few imported

Hollywood blockbusters, The Lion King (1994), a family film, became a great hit. It

was so phenomenal that Chinese cinema of a period afterwards is referred to as the

post-The-Lion-King era.22 From 2002 to 2010, over 50 percent of imported

Hollywood films that are on a revenue-sharing basis are family films. China is one of

the few countries in the world who do not have a film rating system. Instead, it

imposes a strict censorship to prevent the production and importation of films that

are considered to be overly violent or sexually explicit. Hollywood family film,

avoiding such contents by nature, is the easiest to pass such censorship and become

possible to be imported. What this study concerns is how Hollywood family film is

marketed and received in China which has characteristics that distinguish itself from

the rest of the global market.

Kristin Thompson said, “...it is virtually impossible to assess a national (film)

industry in any given period without dealing with its attempt to counter American

competition...”.23 While impacting the local film industry, the globalisation of

Hollywood is also promoting American business, culture, politics, lifestyle and

20
Allen, Robert C., ‘Home alone together: Hollywood and the “family film”’, in Identifying
Hollywood’s Audiences: Cultural Identify and the Movies, ed. by M. Stokes and R. Maltby (London:
BFI, 1999), pp. 114.
21
Krämer, Peter, ‘“The best Disney film Disney never made”: children's films and the family
audience in American cinema since the 1960s’, in Genre and Contemporary Hollywood, ed. by S.
Neale (London: BFI, 2002), pp.183-198.
22
Yin, Hong, 2007, p.333.
23
Thompson, Kristin, Exporting entertainment: America in the world film market, 1907 to 1934
(London: BFI Publishing, 1985), p.168.

7
ideology and is influencing the cultural identity and cultural preservation of its non-

American recipients. Hollywood films have established their positions in the Chinese

market, and in the hearts of Chinese audiences. They have influenced the past, are

influencing the present and will, inevitably, to certain extent, influence the future of

China. To understand what role they are playing on this one of world’s now largest

stages which they were previously shut down upon, it is necessary to first take a look

at what made them possible to come back and what the environment was upon their

return to the Chinese market.

The Open Door Policy, Entertainment Import and Chinese Media

Major Hollywood studios started to release their films in Shanghai as far back as the

early 1920s. However, following the founding of the People’s Republic of China

(PRC) in 1949 and particularly after the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, the

Chinese market was completely closed to Hollywood films. Until the end of the

1970s when diplomatic relations between the PRC and the US were officially

established, Hollywood started to see the opportunity to enter the Chinese market

again. After the 3rd Plenum of the 11th Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central

Committee held in 1978, China finally launched the “Reform and Opening-up

Policy”. As an important part of it, the “Open Door Policy” which encourages

foreign trade and economic investment, made it possible for American entertainment

including the Hollywood films, together with other kinds of foreign products, to re-

enter the Chinese market.24

24
Berry, Chris and Farquhar, Mary, China on Screen: Cinema and Nation (New York: Columbia
University Press, 2006), p.330.

8
 Thanks to the restriction of film screening in the “Cultural Revolution” being

lifted and the abundance of produced but not screened films accumulated in the

previous decade, the Chinese film industry in the late 1970s and early 1980s was

very prosperous.25 A record high cinema attendance, which still remains unbroken

today, was created during this period of time by Jet Li’s Shaolin Si (The Shaolin

Temple) (1982).26 By that time, domestic films were already not the only options for

the Chinese audiences. There were also films imported from Japan, Indian and even

from some European countries and the US, although most of them were old titles.27

At the same time, televisions started to be found in more and more Chinese

households and a massive development in television broadcasting began to take place

in China. At the start of the development, the major problem was the lack of contents,

especially after in 1979, China Film Distribution and Exhibition Corporation decided

to stop supplying new feature films to all television stations who were then

encouraged to import television programmes to fill the gap.28 American television

programmes were among the first batch of imports. In the 1980s, they were mainly

imported by the China Central Television Station (CCTV). Those that were rejected

by CCTV would often seek opportunities from local/provincial stations such as

Shanghai Television. Some of the programmes still managed to achieve nationwide

popularity even though they were not broadcast by the CCTV.29 Junhao Hong, in his

25
Shen, Yun, Zhongguo dianying chanye shi (The History of Chinese Film Industry) (Beijing: Chinese
Film Bress, 2005), pp.203-204.
26
Shaolin Si (The Shaolin Temple) (1982) created a record cinema attendance of 470 million; Refer to:
Mtime, Chinese Domestic Film All-time Grosses, <http://group.mtime.com/12781/discussion/253526/>
[accessed 12 August 2010].
27
Zeng, Desheng, “Jiji kaizhan de dianying shuchu shuru gongzuo (Actively conducting film export
and import)”, in China Film Yearbook (1983), ed. by Chinese Film Association (Beijing: Publishing
group of China Film Yearbook,1983) , pp.815-816.
28
Guo, Zhenzhi, “Xinshiqi zhongguo dianshi de shinian (Ten Years of Chinese Television in the New
Era)”, Journalism and Communication, 02(1990), 195-210(p.196).
29
Hong, J.H., The Internationalization of Television in China: The Evolution of Ideology , Society ,
and Media Since the Reform (Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1998), p.61.

9
The Internationalization of Television in China, describes China’s television

importation of this period. This book also provides insights into the relevant policies,

analysis of the industrial data and relatively objective observation of this part of

history which are referenced in my study.

Compared to American television programmes, Hollywood films returned to

China a bit later. As mentioned earlier, for many years since the beginning of film

imports, only old titles were imported for their low costs. With the nationwide

economic reform, the film industry itself was also undergoing a major change. As a

matter of fact, since its golden age in the early 1980s, the Chinese film industry

started to go downhill. The decade from 1984 to 1993 is recognised as one of the

toughest times in Chines film history, during which the Chinese cinema lost more

than 60 percent of it attendance.30 In order to re-activate the film market, in 1994,

permission was finally given to the China Film Group Corporation by the China

Ministry of Radio, Film and Television (MRFT, renamed as SARFT - State

Administration of Radio, Film and Television in 1998) to release ten selected new

foreign titles each year on a revenue-sharing basis, which brought to an end “the

forty years’ practice of buying old but cheap foreign movies”. It also marked the re-

entering of Hollywood films into the Chinese film market.31 Yun Shen in her The

History of Chinese Film Industry and Ying Zhu in her Chinese Cinema during the

Era of Reform, both provide a historical revisit to that particular period.

In November 1999, China and the United States finally reached a landmark

agreement on the terms of China’s entry into the World Trade Organization.

According to the agreement, the number of films to be imported on a revenue-

sharing basis was doubled to twenty titles per year. The allowance was in 2003
30
Shen, Yun, 2005, p.215.
31
Rosen, Stanley, 2002, pp.49-78.

10
further increased to an abundance of fifty.32 Representative studies on China’s

importation of Hollywood films in particular include Ting Wang’s historical

background research leading up to Hollywood’s re-entry into China in 1994 and

Stanley Rosen’s work on Hollywood and the film market in China from 1994 to

2000. These two studies, together with the works by Yun Shen and Ying Zhu

mentioned earlier, provide precious second-hand data and information with regard to

Chinese film industry and policies for this study.

When Hollywood films re-entered China, the film market was in great

depression due to the rise of other forms of visual-audio entertainment, including

television, videos tapes and VCDs - legal and illegal. The abundance of pirate copies

of videos products and the easy access to them inevitably contributed to the

unhealthy film market. However, it is also argued that, the existence of piracy in

China has also prepared Hollywood a huge, growing group of audiences. Today’s

pirate users may as well become tomorrow’s loyal consumers.33 The book Framing

Piracy by Shujen Wang provides a systematic examination of the illegal film

distribution in China.34 In this study, the market environment at the time when

Hollywood films re-entered China is examined by taking into consideration of all the

above aspects in order to provide a background for a more objective reception study

of Hollywood films in China.

As mentioned earlier, the focus of this study is Hollywood family film. Some

relevant television programmes are also involved but they are not the focus. To study

the reception of Hollywood family films in China, there is a special Chinese film

32
Wang, Ting, “Hollywood’s Crusade in China prior to China’s WTO Accession”, Jump Cut, 49
(2007), <http://www.ejumpcut.org/archive/jc49.2007/TingWang/index.html> [Accessed 23rd Jan
2008].
33
Yin, Hong, 2007, p.47.
34
Wang, Shujen, Framing Piracy: Globalization and Film Distribution in Greater China (Oxford:
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2003).

11
type that cannot be overlooked. It is called children’s film. As its name suggests, it is

a film genre dedicated to child audiences. It is a film category recognised by the

Chinese film industry and its production is mainly funded by the Chinese

government. The audience group this study cares about - the OCG - was its target

audience group. It helps to understand the reception of Hollywood family films

among the OCG audiences by comparing it to that of the Chinese children’s films

because the OCG themselves are often found to refer to one of the two film kinds

when express their opinions on the other.

In general, the Open Door Policy makes it possible for the American

entertainment products, such as the Hollywood family films, to come into the

Chinese market. Being a part of it, American entertainment products are influencing,

as well as adapting to, the media environment of China, in both industrial and

cultural aspects, which has to be taken into consideration when examine their

reception in China. As for this study, the focus is to examine the reception to

Hollywood family films of a particular audience group - the OCG. A general

introduction to the OCG will be given in the next section.

The Only Child Generation

An article in Newsweek published on 18th March 1985 for the first time discussed a

special Chinese generation born after the establishment of China’s “One Child Policy”

in the late 1970s.35 Titled “A Rash of ‘Little Emperors’”, the author expressed

concerns over a new Chinese generation that “rivals the Me Generation of the US”.36

35
Smolowe, Jill and Lin, Wendy, ‘”A Rash of ‘Little Emperors’”, Newsweek, 18 Aug. 1985, p. 16.
36
A term used to describe American people who left behind the social activism of the 1960s and
focused on improving their own souls through a variety of self-help methods. Source: ‘The Me
Decade’, Pendergast, 10 Sep. 2002, No 5, Vol 4, 2002, p.948.

12
By referencing comments from parents, the article referred to those children as the

“little emperors”. The author described their central positions in urban Chinese

families by introducing the concept of “4-2-1 syndrome” – a typical family of four

adoring grandparents, two indulgent parents and one spoiled child. By quoting from

a talk given by Kang Keqing (a China Women’s Federation official), the author also

explained their significance to the country – “they are the nation’s successors of the

on-going revolution”. In the end of the article a question was raised as to whether the

promotion of the One Child Policy would end up “breeding a generation of selfish,

unruly youths”. A Chinese newspaper, Workers Daily, published the full translation

of the article 11 days later. About a year after, a highly influential reportage titled

“Zhongguo de ‘xiaohuangdi’” (China’s “Little Emperors”) was published in the

Chinese magazine Zhongguo zuojia (Chinese Writers). The reportage suggested that

enough attention must be given to the only-children in urban China; otherwise, they

would become a problem for the society in the future. The use of “little emperor”

became very popular in China when referring to the only-children in urban China

because it matched people’s perception to these children. The article from Newsweek

drew the world’s attention to China’s OCG, and also inspired the studies of this

generation in the fields of education, psychology and sociology in China.37

According to the definition given by Lu Taihong, the OCG refers to the only-

children born under China’s “One Child Policy”. In order to slow down the

population growth so as to lessen the tension in both social and economic aspects, the

Chinese government in 1979 firstly trialled the policy in Beijing, Shanghai and some

other major cities to allow each of the new couples to have only one child. The

37
Lu, Taihong, Zhang, Hongming and Yang, Ji, 2004.

13
policy was extended nationally a year after.38 The OCG people were born during the

third baby boom of China. At that time, the One Child Policy had already been

implemented but it did not prevent this particular generation from becoming huge

because most of the population from the previous baby boom were just about to have

their children. From the establishment of the Only Child Policy until 2008, the

population of China increased by more than 320 million.39 According to a

government report, the number of only-children born in China during this period

exceeded 100 million in 2008.40 The gap in between is filled by non-only-children,

most of whom were born in rural China and are not considered in my research.

The OCG is loosely defined in academia. In order to be more specific, the OCG

in this study refers to the only-children born in urban China between 1979 and 1990

who, according to a recent census, have a total of around 23.5 million and constitute

almost 80 per cent of the urban population of this age group. The purpose of the

constraint in time and space are to impose a certain level of uniformity within the

group in terms of age and experience. Unlike the later generations, this group of only

children experienced the most dramatic social and cultural changes of modern China

happened during the first decade of the Open Door Policy. The reason for only

considering the urban population is because they have reasonably easy access to

imported entertainment products including films since their childhood. One of the

assumptions of the study is that the consumption of foreign media in their childhood

38
Nie, Miao, ‘Shidai Yanjiu Beijing xiade Zhongguo Dushengdai Xiaofei Xingwei Fenxi’ (An
Analysis on Consumer Behaviour of the Only Child Generation), Market Modernization, (20)2007,
167-168(p.167).
39
Center of Population Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Science, China Population Yearbook
1986 (Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press [China], 1986), p.409; Department of Population and
Employment Statistics, National Bureau of Statistics of China, China Population and Employment
Statistics Yearbook 2008 (Beijing: China Statistics Press, 2008), p.106.
40
Chen, Qing and Zhou, Qijun, ‘Dushengzinu chaoguo yiyi’ (Only-children has exceeded 100
million), Wenhui Newspaper (Shanghai), 07/07/2008, < http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2008-
07/07/content_8502144.htm > [ accessed 12 Aug 2008].

14
influences their preferences in entertainment consumption in their later life. In early

1980s, only an urban family could afford a television which was the major means of

access to imported entertainment products at the time. Even nowadays, the rural-

urban gap in China is still massive, not only in economic but also in social and

cultural aspects. The urban and rural should be considered two distinct audience

groups, which is why excluding rural population from this study is necessary.

It should also be noted that the above notion of OCG does not imply an absolute

uniformity within the group. Diversity exists within the group. From the outside, it

should be seen as a group of people differentiated from the other social groups by

sharing among them certain distinct experience and characteristics. From the inside

the sub-groups that perceive media text in different ways exist.

The Only Child Policy has deeply influenced the structure of Chinese families as

well as the structure of the society and consumer behaviour in the contemporary

Chinese market. Many articles and books can be found that look into the general

OCG. There are works, not only from China, that are very concerned about the

characteristics and socialization of this special generation. The most influential ones

are probably those by Feng Xiaotian of China and Vanessa Fong of the US.41 Their

studies offer insights into various aspects of the OCG which can be summarized as

follows. Being the only children of their families, they have all the attention, care and

support from their parents and even from their grandparents. They are more likely to

get what they ask for than previous generations. The child-centred nuclear family

pattern fosters their strong sense of self-identity and advocates individuality. At the

price of all the family resource they shared with no one but themselves, they bear all

41
Feng, Xiaotian, Zhongguo Dushengzinu (Chinese Only-Children) (Beijing: Zhishi Press, 2004);
Fong, Vanessa, Only Hope: Coming of Age Under China's One-child Policy (Stanford, Calif.:
Stanford University Press, 2004).

15
the hope and expectation of their families which places them under greater stress. In

the 1980s, China experienced a baby boom for which the nation’s infrastructure was

unprepared. For an OCG child, in contrast with the privilege within the family, the

competition he/she has to face in the society has never been as intense.

There are also studies that explore the consumption behaviours of the OCG.

Examples include those by Lu Taihong and his PhD students and those by James

McNeal in cooperation with some Chinese researchers.42 According to their research,

the OCG is marked by high consumption patterns. Fostered by parents who are more

capable of providing them with what they need, they have a stronger desire to spend

than previous generations. Early exposure to various media including TV and

internet creates early consumers as well. Their consumption is also influenced by

popular culture, especially the imported entertainment such as American films and

television, to a considerably high degree. It justifies the connection between the OCG

and American family entertainment.

This study sees the OCG as a group of film audiences and examines their

reception to Hollywood family films. Within a wider scope, it belongs to the realm of

research that concerns the relationship and interaction between people and media.

Within this realm, there are already studies on particular Chinese groups and their

relationship and interaction with media. Stephanie H. Donald in her Childen, Media

and Regional Modernity in the Asia Pacific provides a potential framework for

research in children’s media and media use in the Asia-Pacific region. With regard to

China, she highlights that the use of children’s media is politically controlled and

that children are crucial actors in the politics of national renewal and economic

42
Lu, Taihong, Zhang, Hongming and Yang, Ji, 2004; McNeal, James and Yeh, Chyon-Hwa,
‘Consumer Behaviour Patterns among Chinese Children’, Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and
Logistics. 8.1(1996), 3-21.

16
reform. Also in her book, Little Friends: Children’s Film and Media Culture in

China, she sets out to tackle a particular form of media, Chinese children’s film, and

the culture within, in the life of Chinese children. On film and it audiences, Huilin

Huang et al in 2005 carried out a series of studies on Beijing college students and

their motives, objectives and preferences with respect to domestic films, film music

and animated films and TVs.43 Narrowed down to film reception studies, in 2002,

Beijing Film Academy took part in the international reception study of the

forthcoming Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). The study was carried

out across 20 counties and regions including China.44 A report was published by

Beijing Film Academy containing their findings, part of which was later included in

Watching the Lord of the Rings: Tolkien’s World Audiences edited by Martin Barker,

the proposer and organiser of the study. Interestingly enough, according to the report

generated by Beijing Film Academy, over 60 per cent of the audiences were aged

from 16 to 25. This proportion of audiences is very much overlapped with the OCG

that my study is concerned about, which is evidence of OCG’s strong presence in the

reception of Hollywood films.

Hollywood family film, as a kind of American entertainment, had been with the

OCG through their childhood, adolescence and is with them now in their adulthood.

The study of the reception of the OCG to Hollywood family film and the interactions

between them needs to take another important factor into consideration – time. In the

timeframe of the studied OCG audience groups, has anything changed over time? Is

their reception of one object at one time linked to their reception of another object at

a different time? The thesis will present answers to these questions.

43
Huang, Huilin, Yingshi shouzhong lun (Reception Studies of TV and Film’s Audience) (Beijing:
Beijing Normal University Press, 2007).
44
Liu, Jun, ‘Zhihuanwang 3 de kua wenhua jieshou xiaoguo yanjiu’ (A Reception Study of Lord of
the Rings Part III in China), Journal of Beijing Film Academy, 03(2004), 62-70(p.62).

17
Methodologies and Resources

Like for most studies in social sciences, psychological and sociological theories

developed during the past century are used by media reception studies to underpin

more detailed propositions. Recurring debates are produced by these theories as

outlined by Janet Staiger in her Media Reception Studies.45 Centred on “whether the

individual or the text explains the meanings made and any effects”, four models of

the individual/text relation were produced: education, reinforcement, mediation, and

power.

The education model assumes no power from the individuals. It considers media

“the learning site” from which knowledge and experience flows to individuals – the

“empty vessels”. In this model, for example, learned aggression has nothing to do

with innate or natural instinct. The second, reinforcement model, is characterised by

seeing media as the reflection of culture and society and a conservative force in

“maintaining social order”. In this model, individuals acquire information that

provides cognitive support for their pre-existing attitudes and beliefs. The third

model mediation, as described by Staiger, conceptualises the individual as “having

developed attributes of some sophistication from the social context” and asserts that

the individual then “responds to the world based on those contextual, personal

differences and uses media as a mediated access to the world”. In this model,

individual and media are in constant negotiation, where power exists in both parties

and influence happens in both ways. The fourth model is that of power in which,

although the self-resources of individual are not neglected, that of the media are so

overwhelming in terms of both insisting on their influence and fascinating.

45
Staiger, Janet, Media Reception Studies (New York: New York University Press, 2005), p.7.

18
 David Gauntlett observes that (as referenced by Staiger), researchers have the

tendency to regard children as “empty vessels”, which is a characteristic of the

dominant theory such as Piaget’s model of child’s cognitive development. Although

this thesis engages the OCG from the beginning of its existence when members of

this generation were still children, education model is not applicable. In this thesis, I

not only acknowledge children’s own will and capabilities in choosing but also

emphasise the dramatic social and cultural changes in China in the 1980s. During the

era of change, contradictory media texts coexisted and none was able to gain a

dominant position over the others. My research findings and the mediation model

support each other.

Going with the mediation model, of significant use in this thesis is Stuart Hall’s

encoding/decoding theory.46 Hall’s theory argues that in mass communication,

meaning is not simply fixed or determined by the sender; the message is never

transparent; the audience is not a passive recipient of meaning. According to Hall, a

message must be perceived as meaningful discourse and be meaningfully decoded

(by the audience) before it has an effect, a use, or satisfies a need. Hall also theorised

three general ways of communicative exchange through encoding and decoding. First,

the dominant way, also known as the hegemonic way, is described as such in which

individuals interpret the meaning of the text in the way the makers of the text had

intended. The second way is the negotiated way in which the reader acknowledges

the legitimacy of the hegemonic definitions but, at a more restricted, situational level,

makes own ground-rules and operates with “exceptions”. The third is the

oppositional, or the “globally contrary” way, in which the receiver decodes the text

46
Hall, S. (1973). Encoding and Decoding in the Television Discourse. Birmingham: Centre for
Contemporary Cultural Studies.

19
in oppositional to the intension of the sender and put it in a different framework of

reference. In this thesis, I will adopt mediation model and encoding/decoding theory

to explain the meaning-making and the reception of the media text conveyed by

Hollywood family films to groups of Chinese audiences from the OCG.

Memory is both method and object in my research. For many texts used in the

thesis are actually expressions based on someone’s memories, effectively, I search

evidence needed for the research in this person’s memory. Of important theoretical

support for this research is the conceptualisation of “collective memory” by Maurice

Halbwachs.47 According to Halbwachs, “the experience of time and memory is

socially constructed”. He emphasises the importance of group in the construction of

individual memory by arguing that the personal and social conceptual schemata that

are in place to shape memories can be transfigured by how that past is

commemorated within the group and the strength of the group in maintaining the

continuity of the memory in a particular way. Based on Halbwachs theory, in one of

the case studies, I will investigate the construction of the collective memories of a

particular OCG audience group, link to the group’s recent nostalgic activities and

discuss how the collective memories influenced individual’s reception to media text.

The research relies heavily on text and textual analysis through the course of its

truth finding. Methods of analysis to extract meanings from media and individual

text include Aristotelian criticism, Rhetorical criticism and content analysis, which is

evident throughout the case studies. Texts obtained for the study originate from a

wide range of sources. Materials studied include audio-visual texts, reviews,

comments and publicity materials such as posters and trailers. Resources, in terms of

channels, include magazines (e.g. Popular Cinema (Dazhong Dianying, in Chinese),

47
Maurice Halbwachs, On Collective Memory, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992

20
Hollywood Reporter) newspapers (e.g. People’s Daily International (English

version), The New York Times), and of significant importance, audience-driven

websites, online forums and fans clubs (e.g. Mtime (Chinese), Rotten Tomatoes).

Apart from those from the Internet which are available to the general public, some

materials, for example, the publicity information of certain films, are obtained

directly from institutions such as China Film Group Corporation and Hollywood

studios who kindly offered their institutional reports, press books and annual reports

for the purpose of this research. The research also uses first-hand information

obtained by means of interview and focus group but only to a minimal extent as a

complementary to the above resources.

In this thesis, apart from text of academic works, I also obtained a large amount

of texts from online forums and fan communities and used them heavily in the

reception studies of my research. Of great support and theoretical justification of this

approach is a series of fandom studies by Henry Jenkins. Built on Pierre Levy’s

theory of “collective intelligence” which is conceptualised as a knowledge space

which emerges from the collaboration and competition of many individuals, Jenkins

describes the online fan communities “expansive self-organizing groups focused

around the collective production, debate, and circulation of meanings, interpretations,

and fantasies in response to various artefacts of contemporary popular culture”.48

Through the course of my research, I gradually realise that these online fan

communities, made possible by their own characteristics of existence (anonymity,

rapid, many-to-many communication and etc.), are able to provide valuable textual

materials that cannot be obtained elsewhere.

48
Henry Jenkins, Interactive Audiences? – The “Collective Intelligence” of Media Fans,

21
 Focus group is used in the research in the attempt to obtain first-hand

information. Although focus group was planned for each of the four case studies

initially, only two had been realised due to time limitation of the study and social

constraint in China. First-hand materials obtained from the focus groups are twofold:

first, textual materials from real persons in a face-to-face communication; second,

non-textual materials – the observations. The contribution of the focus groups to the

research is not massive but very solid. Firstly, the text obtained from the participant

is in line with what is obtained from online forums/communities, which increases the

credibility of the text obtained from both sources. Secondly, the non-textual

observations, although of limited quantity, is a healthy addition to the textual

materials, which provide support for claims made by the textual analysis. The design

and outcome of the two focus groups are listed in the appendix.

In this study, Hollywood family film is placed in a cultural context for

examination. To be more precise, it is a different cultural context to its origin, in

which case the local cultural industry need to be approached to provide such context.

This thesis employs a combined approach of political economy and cultural studies,

both outlined by David Hesmondhalgh in his The Cultural Industries.49 Policy

studies presented in this thesis is mostly textual, combining the study of relevant

documentations and comments by government and government officials with the

study of remarks by both Chinese and Western scholars. There are places where it is

necessary to carry out analysis of numerical data, such as the box office for certain

films. Such data are obtained from resources including China Film Yearbooks (1981

onwards), China Film Weekly (a trade newspaper published by China Film Archive)

and Box Office Mojo (internet database) are used as the main resources for box office

49
Hesmondhalgh, David, The Cultural Industries (London:Sage Publications, 2007).

22
information. In addition, some articles from Variety and Screen International are also

used as complementary references.

Contributions

Through the literature review, I have studied works on Hollywood family film and

findings of others who had studied groups of people that intersect with the OCG.

Their research and findings are great inspirations to me but, make me ask more

questions, particularly because none of them set out to answer questions with regard

to this particular combination of Hollywood family film and the OCG.

So my question is: what is the reception of Hollywood family film by the OCG?

It is such a big question that it has to be deconstructed to be properly answered. Here

and there in this introduction, I have been asking questions that constitute this final

question. I will list them here just to put things in order.

What kinds of meanings does Hollywood film have for the OCG? In other words,

how does the OCG perceive certain texts or messages in a Hollywood family film?

In what circumstances do these meanings or perceptions emerge? Is there any

reference to compare against? Has any of the meanings or perceptions changed,

preserved or developed over time? What influences do they – not the films

themselves but the meanings they have for the OCG to be precise – have on the OCG

or to an even greater extent? What is the level or direction of these influences? To

the OCG, are any of the influences cognitive or, are they merely emotional? Do they

have any social or even political impact? To these questions, I wanted the answers.

Through research, I have found my answers to these questions. It is these answers

presented in this thesis that I want to share with the social world.

23
 Ever since Hollywood re-entered China, there have been debates over “good or

evil”. People have argued about “positive” or “negative” for almost every single

Hollywood film that had been imported to China. I do not have the intention to

strengthen either side of such debates or arguments. What I do want to contribute to

is the discovery and understanding of the meanings and effects of Hollywood family

films to the OCG. It is not to suggest that the research is not of value for judgment

and evaluation. Quite the contrary, I hope for its implications for the judgements and

evaluations of this particular media type. However, such implications are subject to

interpretations which are more often than not subjective.

24
Chapter 1 American Entertainment in

Urban China since 1978

Year 1978 is of great significance for China and its people. The establishment of the

Open Door Policy led to a national economic reform that had fundamentally changed

people’s life and beyond. Three decades have passed. During this period,

modernization has been going on at fast pace and tremendous change has been

happening in various aspects from economy to the ideology. Lifting the bar for

international trade has not only stimulated the market and resulted in an

unprecedented economic growth but also brought about the nationwide evolution in

culture in which the importation of entertainment played an important part. On 1st

January 1979, the Sino-US Diplomatic Relations is officially established. Within the

same year, Coca-Cola, which was considered as a symbol of the “Western capitalist

lifestyle”, became available in the Chinese market.50 Since then, more and more US

products carrying the label of “American Culture” have found their way to the life of

the Chinese. McDonald, Nike, Disney, just to name a few.

Among all these US products is the object of this study, the American family

entertainment with a focus on film and television. This chapter present a historical

review of American entertainment in China starting from the Open Door Policy. It is

organised by periods of distinct characteristics divided by turning events and sets out

to answer 1) what happened; 2) why it happened; and 3) what the response was. In

50
Yu, Fang, “1979: Kekou kele, kaifang de biaoqian (1979: Coca Cola, a symbol of opening)”, in
Kaifang zhongguo: gaige de 30 nian jiyi (Opened China: the Memory of 30 Years’ Reform), ed. by
Economic Observer (Beijing: CITIC Press, 2008), pp. 24.

25
this chapter, American entertainment is placed into the context of cultural industry

for examination. By doing this, I argue that “American cultural colonialism” which is

popularly used to describe the influence of American entertainment products in the

international market is not the only view to be seen throughout their journey in China.

American entertainment should be best described as an important participant in

China’s cultural modernization. As a participant, its influence during the process

needs to be evaluated and understood by taken into account that of the relevant

policies and regulations imposed by the Chinese government on them and that of the

contemporaneous domestic entertainment industry.

Pre-1994: Television as the Window of the World

Television broadcasting started in China in 1958, but massive development only took

place after the establishment of the Open Door Policy. In late 1970s, imported

television sets started to appear in the Chinese market and gradually became one of

the most desirable household appliances at that time. Television production lines

were imported later, which made it more affordable for an ordinary urban Chinese

family to own a television. It in turn resulted in a rapid development period for

China’s television industry. From 1978 to 1982, the number of television sets owned

nationwide increased by almost 10 times from 3 million to 27.6 million; and viewers

from 80 million to 340 million.51

The rise of television soon became a threat to the Chinese cinema. In June 1979,

China Film Distribution and Exhibition Corporation stopped their supply of new

feature films to television stations. At that time, the programmes provided by the

51
Hong, Junhao, The Internationalization of Television in China: The Evolution of Ideology , Society ,
and Media Since the Reform (Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1998), p.88-89.

26
China Central Television were considered as a “miniature theatre” because of their

short broadcasting time and heavy dependence on feature films. The functionality of

provincial television stations was basically to relay what was being broadcast by the

China Central Television. Hence, the sudden termination of film supply precipitated

a crisis for television broadcasting. In August, the Central Broadcasting Bureau held

The First National Conference on Television Programmes, at which television

stations were encouraged to develop independency by producing their own

programmes and, at the same time, to import television programmes to fill the urgent

gap. 52

As a matter of fact, there was no specific policy for television programme

importation in China before 1978. At that time, things like this were conducted

according to the Party’s general disciplines. It does not mean the Chinese

government lacked of control over what foreign programmes could be shown on the

television but, quite to the contrary, the control was very strong and rigid. The

purposes and standards of telecasting were strictly defined by the Propaganda

Ministry of the Party and were well understood and carried out by their regional

leaders, which formed a tight centralised control throughout the system.53

After 1978, by implementing the Open Door Policy, the Chinese government

started to loosen its centralised control over the market. Instead of rigid disciplines,

vague guidelines started to be used to impose some level of regulation over television

imports. Two of the most commonly used principles were “acceptability” and

“affordability”.54 For a programme to be acceptable, it does not have to expose the

“darkness of the west”, but it must not be against Communism and the Party.

52
Guo, Zhenzhi, “Xinshiqi zhongguo dianshi de shinian (Ten Years of Chinese Television in the New
Era)”, Journalism and Communication, 02(1990), 195-210(p.196).
53
Hong, Junhao, 1998, p.63.
54
Ibid.

27
Pornography is not acceptable because it is considered as “a product of the decayed

capitalist lifestyle” and is contradictory to Chinese culture and value. Being

“affordable” basically means the price of the programme must be within the

purchasing ability of the TV stations. The concern about cost had led to a national

phenomenon that all television stations, even the only national television network,

China Central Television, and the country’s second largest television station,

Shanghai Television, were seeking every opportunity to buy foreign programmes as

cheaply as possible. Of the two criteria, acceptability is always more important than

affordability; it has to satisfy acceptability to be considered for affordability.

Besides the shift in centralised control, other changes also helped to open the

door wider for television program importation. Deng Xiaoping, China’s vice-premier

at that time, visited Washington, D.C. in January 1979. The visit initiated a series of

important, high-level co-operation and exchange between China and the US, which

continued to 1989. Many bilateral agreements were reached with regard to trade

relations, interchange in science, technology and culture. These agreements in

cultural co-operation pushed forward the importation of American entertainment

such as television programmes.

In early 1980, China Central Television imported Man from Atlantis, a 13-

episode American sci-fi television series that ran on the NBC Network during the

1977-1978 season. It was not very popular in the US, but still managed to produce

highly favourable reaction in China. It became the first American television series

ever broadcast on Chinese television. It was shown at 8 pm every Thursday. The

sunglass worn by the leading act, Mark Harris, in the play soon became a fashion in

urban China. Chinese media described it as a television series that “makes the whole

28
city a standstill”.55 It is not hard to explain why a not-so-popular television series in

the US could become such a hit in China if we take a look at the status of Chinese

television broadcasting at the time. There were only a few channels to choose from

and most of them share the same programmes. Some of the programme sharing was

for propaganda purpose but for most of the time it was due to the lack to contents.

From 7 pm to 7.30 pm every day, all channels had to relay the news programme

(“Xinwen LianBo”) broadcast by China Central Television, which was one of the

Party’s means of propaganda. Apart from that, content update was far from being

frequent. There was a programme called “Song of the Week” on China Central

Television for which a same song would be played at the same time every day for a

week. Although television viewing was still not a boring experience, something new,

something different could certainly make a difference.

In October 1980, another American television series, Garrison’s Gorillas, hit the

Chinese television. Episodes started at 8 pm Saturdays. It was a 26-episode action

television series shown on ABC network from 1967 to 1968. After the 16th episode,

China Central Television decided to shut it down. It gave a notice at the end of the

show saying it was the last episode, but the audiences did not buy it. After the

shutdown, China Central Television received a lot of enquires asking for explanation.

It is considered to be a remarkable cultural event in modern Chinese history. Before

it, Chinese audiences were not found to question about what was/was not being

shown on the television. China Central Television remained silent. Until 23 years

later, in the book China Central Television: All the First and Transitions edited by

China Central Television for its 45 anniversary, an explanation was given. “It was

55
Hu, Lingzhu, “Dang meiju zaoyu yangshi (The American Television’s Encounter with China
Central Television)”, Century Weekly, 05(2007),
<http://www.qikan.com.cn/Article/xsjz/xsjz200705/xsjz20070533.html> [accessed 16 May 2010]

29
found to an absurd and pointless television series with no taste and real value in art

and hence the shutdown.”56

In 1981, Shanghai Television imported Sugata Sanshiro. It was the first

Japanese television series ever broadcast in China. In 1983, Fok Yuen Gap, the first

Hong Kong television series was imported through Guangdong Television and was

dubbed in both Cantonese and Mandarin. These imported television series

significantly enriched the content of Chinese television. Most of them were very

popular among the Chinese audiences.

As a new element, advertising also contributed to the prosperous development of

Chinese television and was soon integrated with imported television programmes. On

28th January 1979, Shanghai Television broadcast a TV commercial for the first time

in the history of Chinese television. It was 90-second long and was for a tonic liquor

product called “Shen Gui Bu Jiu”. On 15th March of the same year, Shanghai

Television again broadcast the first ever foreign TV commercial for Swiss Rado

Watch. Later in November, China Central Propaganda Department issued an official

approval for television stations to host advertising activities.57

For financial concerns, a new importation scheme, “barter”, was introduced.

With a barter agreement, a Chinese television station could get free programmes

from a foreign company by giving away commercial airtime. The first of this kind

was signed in 1980 and brought the Chinese audience the Japanese cartoon series

Astro Boy by China Central Television. In 1982, Twentieth Century Fox agreed to let

China Central Television choose 52 feature films from more than 3000 titles for

advertising time. Paramount sealed a similar deal by providing their Star Trek series.

56
Tang, Shiding, Zhongyang dianshitai de diyi yu bianqian 1958-2003 (China Central Television: All
the First and Transitions1958-2003) (Beijing: Oriental Publishing House, 2003),
<http://news.xinhuanet.com/newmedia/2006-06/06/content_4653104_2.htm> [accessed 18 May 2010]
57
Guo, Zhenzhi, 1990, p. 197.

30
In 1984, another barter agreement was signed between CBS and China Central

Television, according to which CBS would provide 64 hours of off-the-shelf

programmes, including Dr. Seuss cartoon series, in exchange for 320 minutes of

advertising. Of all the barter agreements, the most remarkable was probably the one

that brought Chinese audiences Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.

According to the agreement, Buena Vista got 2 minutes of commercial airtime for

and within every half-hour episode.58

Meanwhile, foreign news and educational programmes also started to appear on

Chinese television. On 1st April 1980, a new agreement was made among China

Central Television, Visnews (UK) and UPITN (US) to allow China Central

Television to receive international news stories via satellites on a daily basis from

London and New York. From 15th April 1980, China Central Television started to

broadcast international daily news for the first time in its history. As an addition to

the foreign documentaries, international news provided a richer and more updated

picture of the outside world to the Chinese audiences. The import of foreign news

programmes also influenced the domestic news production. Domestic news reports

on TV started to become more compact with a trend to cover a wider range of topics

in different ways. To meet the demand for English language learning, China Central

Television brought in Follow Me, a BBC-produced television series providing a

crash course in the English language. It was reported to have over 50 million viewers

and is still one of the most influential foreign television programmes that have ever

shown on Chinese television.

The increasing popularity of foreign television stimulated the domestic

production. From 1979 to 1985, Chinese TV drama production experienced a

58
Hong, Junhao, 1998, p.65-66.

31
tremendous growth. A total of 1300 episodes were produced in 1985 only. At that

time, both foreign importation and domestic production were not sufficiently

controlled or regulated. A lot of problems emerged, which include poor quality

domestic productions and foreign programmes made available through illegal

channels. The Chinese government realized the need for regulation.

There was no dedicated policy to regulate the importation of foreign television

until the 1985 meeting of the Ministry of Radio and Television. The meeting

proposed to strengthen the administration over audio-visual product importation,

which effectively led to the promulgations of a specific regulation on television

importation – Interim Measures on Imported Television Series Management. It was

the only regulation used until November 1990 when two other regulations – Interim

Regulations on Importation of Foreign Television Programmes, Censorship Criteria

for Foreign Television Series – were put into effect. The most influential act was to

limit the proportion of foreign programmes to twenty per cent of the total

broadcasting time per channel per day and fifteen per cent of the prime time (6 pm –

10 pm every day). The Interim Regulations on Importation of Foreign Television

Programs also gave the regional administration of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong and

Fujian the authorities to approve importation based on the Censor Criteria for

Foreign Television Series. The other regions still had to report to the Central

Ministry of Radio, Film and Television for approval.59

It is stated at the beginning of the Censor Criteria for Foreign Television Series

that the purpose of the regulation is “to help introduce quality foreign television

programmes, enrich the content of Chinese television, improve people’s

understanding of the world and promote the cultural communication between China
59
Zhou, Jingbo, Shiliao suoyin (Historical Materials and Index) (Beijing: China Radio and Television
House,2008), pp.109-110.

32
and the other countries”. It is clear that the regulation cares about the “quality”. As to

what television programme is of quality, it is totally up to the regulation and its

executioner to decide. Foreign television programmes were imported to enrich the

content of Chinese television. This purpose was well fulfilled. In the 1980s,

television was made the primary means of visual entertainment in urban China. The

reaction of the domestic television industry was somewhat immature. The rush of

mass production did not give them the edge in the competition against foreign

programmes. Again, the regulation gave a hand. By limiting the time for imported

television programmes, it helped to protect the local television industry. It is not

surprising that the Chinese government would want the cultural industry to be under

its control. It is certainly of great benefit for the Party’s propaganda. It may seem

contradictory for them to encourage people to see and understand other places in the

world through television, but with the censorship and control, what the Chinese

audiences see is always a filtered image. The important thing is: the Chinese

audiences do see something different, something that may challenge their belief,

value and ideology, maybe just a tiny bit. But this tiny bit could have its influence –

recall the response of the audiences to the shutdown of Garrison’s Gorillas.

In a way, the importation of television had prepared for the re-entering of

Hollywood film to China. The raise of television was one of the factors that put the

Chinese cinema in jeopardy in the 1980s and the popularity of US television

programmes contributed to the positive anticipation for Hollywood films which were

brought in to revive the film market. The journey of American family entertainment

in China was about to enter a new era.

33
1994-2001: Have you seen the “Dapian”?

The history of Chinese film-making can be dated back to 1905 when the first

Chinese film was produced. However, the world’s acknowledgment about Chinese

cinema only started after China’s “Fifth Generation” film directors/makers, such as

Zhang Yimo, Chen Kaige, and their works made the appearance. Starting from the

success of Huang Tu Di (1984) (“The Yellow Earth”) by Chen Kaige, films by the

Fifth Generation initiated a new interest in the West to study the Chinese cinema.60

The Fifth Generation and their works represent the artistic achievement of Chinese

films in the 1980s. However, their works did not win much popularity among the

general Chinese audiences and certainly did not save the Chinese cinema from the

great depression.

Chinese cinema was very prosperous from the late 1970s to the early 1980s,

probably because of the restriction of film screening in the “Cultural Revolution”

being lifted and the abundance of unscreened films accumulated in the previous

decade.61 Among the many films, some became very popular and are still being

talked about today. Lushan Lian (1980) (“Love Story from Mountain Lu”) is the first

romance film made after the “Cultural Revolution” and in it is also the first kiss,

although only on the cheek, ever to appear in a Chinese film. The film became very

popular among the Chinese young people especially those in love. The female lead

appeared in 43 different dresses in the film which became a fashion guide among

Chinese women at the time.

Another film worth mentioning is Xi Lin Men (1981) (“In-Laws”), a light family

comedy about the life in rural China. The film appealed to a great number of

60
Reynaud, Bérénice, ‘Chinese Cinema’, in World Cinema: Critical Approaches, ed. by J. Hill and
P.C. Gibson (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000), p.159.
61
Shen, Yun, 2005, pp.203-204.

34
audiences and set a cinema attendance record of 570 million. In 1982, another

record-breaking film hit the screen. Jet Li’s first ever martial art film Shaolin Si

(“The Shaolin Temple”) is also the first Chinese film produced in cooperation

between mainland China and Hong Kong. These films and many others sent the

Chinese cinema attendance through the roof in the early 1980s. At that time,

domestic films were already not the only option for Chinese audiences. They could

enjoy some films from Japan, India and a few selected from Europe and the US

which were mostly outdated. Going to cinemas in 1980s was not expensive at all.

Tickets only cost about 0.30 yuan RMB (about 5 cents) on average.62 Free outdoor

screenings were still being offered, especially in rural areas.

During the nationwide economic reform, free outdoor theatres gradually went

out of business and film exhibition turned mainly to indoor screenings. In the early

1980s, of the 110 thousand exhibition units, only 4 per cent were indoor theatres.63

Government money invested to assist the reform of the film industry was largely

drained by the production sector. It left the exhibition sector with inadequate support.

There was little money to build new theatres or to improve the condition of the

existing ones.64 The lack of quality theatres became a serious problem, especially as

television was getting more and more common in urban households. People would

rather stay at home watching television instead of going to a cinema where it was not

comfortable to stay. Apart from spending money in the wrong place, film reform in

the early stage also failed to get rid of what actually halted the development of the

whole industry, that is, the redundantly large distribution sector. A large proportion

62
Cao, Ming, ‘Lishun jiage tixi’ (Reorganizing the price system), in China Film Yearbook 1989, ed.
by Editorial group of China Film Yearbook. (Beijing: Publishing Group of China Film Yearbook.,
1989), p. 374.
63
Shen, Yun, 2005, p.209.
64
Ibid, pp.206-207.

35
of the profit of the whole industry was consumed to maintain this sector without

enough money flowing back to film studios or theatres. In late 1980s, most studios

were in financial crisis, which effectively led to inadequate film production.65

Meanwhile, cinema attendance kept going down. From 1982 to 1989, the Chinese

cinema lost about 40 per cent of its movie-going audience.66

The emergence of video-tape, VCD and DVD was also considered to be one of

the reasons for the decrease in cinema attendance. In China, these forms of video

products came about in a special form – video rooms.67 Most families in late 1980s

were still unable to afford a home video device. Although the number of VCRs in

use increased from about 50,000 in 1984 to about 790,000 in 1988, the proportion of

televisions that were used with VCRs was still very low, peaking at only 2.3 per cent

in 1987 between the 1984 and 1988 period.68 At the beginning, video room was just

another way for theatres to gain some extra profit. However, in 1990s, it started to

become a threat to the film industry that was already in a crisis. Because of the lack

in administration, a video room could usually provide its audiences with films that

were not legally released in China. These films were mostly from Hong Kong,

sometimes from the US and a few other foreign countries through the pirate channels.

Cheaper tickets and richer contents gave them a competitive edge against ordinary

theatres, although the viewing condition of a video room was often found to be very

poor – providing only a medium sized TV and chairs that were not always

comfortable. Video room was not considered a safe and healthy place. Most parents

65
Zhu, Yin, Chinese Cinema during the Era of Reform: The Ingenuity of the System (Westport:
Praeger Publishers, 2003), p.77.
66
Shen, Yun, 2005, p.215.
67
It is usually a small scale theatre that provides audiences with films using VCRs.
68
Hung, A.S.C., The Political Economy of the Film Industry in China (1979-1989) (a dissertation
submitted for the Degree of Master of Arts in Mass Communication, University of Leicester, Centre
for Mass Communication Research, July 1989), Appendix IV.

36
would forbid their children from going there because of this and the concerns over

the contents it provided – often contained violent and sexual scenes. Nowadays,

video rooms have been removed from most urban cities; however, in some less

developed regions they still exist.

The hard times of Chinese cinema continued in the 1990s. While in 1988 the

number of screens was 161,777, this figure reduced to 65,000 in 1998. The national

average cinema admissions per person fell from 19.58 in 1987 to the all-time low of

0.12 in 1997.69 The Chinese film industry was in a deep depression. Under such

circumstance and aided by an increasingly opening-up policy environment,

permission was given to the China Film Group Corporation by the Ministry of Radio

Film and Television to release ten selected foreign films every year starting from

1994 in the hope of reviving the depressive film industry. Those films had to “reflect

the finest global cultural achievements and represent the latest artistic and

technological accomplishments in contemporary world cinema” and were imported

on a “revenue-sharing” basis.70 Under a revenue-sharing agreement, China Film

Group Corporation pays nothing to foreign studios for the film copies and the box-

office revenue is split between the two parties.

In the second half of 1994, the Chinese media were full of speculation about the

probable incoming of a US blockbuster, The Fugitive (1993). It also became a

popular topic of conversation in the street. Instead of calling it a “dian-ying” which

means “film” in Chinese, the media created a new word “da-pian”. In Chinese, the

character “da 大” generally means “big” and is a character of rich meanings and

implications; while “pian 片” is another way of saying “film”. So literally, it means a

69
Acland, C.R., Screen Traffic: Movies, Multiplexes, and Global Culture (Durham: Duke University
Press, 2003), p.251 & p.255.
70
Zhu, Y., 2003, p.220.

37
“big film”. I believe it is a short way of saying “da-tou-zi-ying-pian” which means

“a film of high capital investment”. However, the way and the circumstance in which

it was used had given it much more meanings than that. The way that the word is

composed naturally produces an admiring and up-looking sensation. Calling it

differently suggests to people that it is different. It tells people that this is not a

“normal” film that you have seen before; it is “big”, it is different in a good way.

According to the media, this film cost 44 million dollars to make. For most Chinese

audiences, it was a “wow”. “How could a film cost so much to make?” “What is in

there?” A lot of audiences would bring these questions to the cinema.

China Film Group Corporation, as the distributor of this highly anticipated film,

started off cautiously. To begin with, it chose a few theatres of good quality from six

major cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou as the pilots. The film was

release in these theatres on 12 November 1994. The reaction was “sensational” and

soon spread out. By the end of 1994, most theatres from urban cities had shown this

film. The final box office reached a record high of 25 million yuan RMB, which was

described as a “miracle” given the circumstance of the Chinese cinema at the time.

In January 1995, another “dapian”, Rumble in the Bronx (1995) which was a

Chinese Kung Fu feature led by Jackie Chan, hit the Chinese cinema. Interestingly,

Chinese cinema and audiences already knew about Chan, but none of his films was

ever referred to as “dapian” before. The media and the publicity of Rumble in the

Bronx emphasised the film as Chan’s effort to enter Hollywood. The combination of

Chinese element (Kung Fu) and the “dapian effect” certainly worked. Breaking the

record set by The Fugitive not long ago, the film wrapped up nearly 95 million yuan

RMB at the box office. The success was also believed to be in connection with the

fact that the film was shown before the Chinese New Year when most people were

38
on holiday. For the next few years, Chan’s films had been present during this period.

Before this, the Chinese cinema did not have “seasons”. The releases were spread out

through a year almost evenly. Since then, Chinese cinema started to realise that

releasing a film in holiday seasons could potentially magnify the box office so there

came the “New Year Season”. Later in July, the upsurge generated by The Lion King

(1994) set an example for the “Summer Holiday Season”.

Year 1995 was a big year for Chinese cinema and moviegoers. In the first half of

1995, the national box office ticket sale increased by 50 per cent over the same

period of the previous year. In Beijing, the total receipts rose by 80 per cent, and

movie attendance in summer increased by 70 per cent comparing to the previous

year.71 Almost every single one of the imported films acquired enthusiastic and

favourable response. It is believed to be the year in which the Hollywood

blockbusters (dapian) established their strong position in the Chinese film market as

well as among the Chinese audiences. They indeed won a lot – True Lies (1994), Die

Hard (1995), The Lion King (1994), Speed (1994), created box office legend one

after another. These films started to bring the Chinese audiences back to the cinema.

From these films, they not only got to know some of the international movie stars,

such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Hanks, Keanu Reeves, Bruce Willis and Jim

Carrey, but also experienced the shock and satisfaction generated by the modern

film-making technologies. It was still the early stage of the reform and opening-up.

Some foreign products had got into the life of Chinese people who had got a hint of

the outside world. They wanted to see more. Since most Chinese were still unable to

go abroad these days, the Hollywood blockbusters played right up to their desire to

71
Fang, Cheng, “Dianying de yongtan (The aria of cinema)”, Chinese Film Market, 8 (1997), pp.10-
11; Kuhn, Anthony, “Raising the red curtain”, Los Angles Times, 17 October 1995. D.1,7.

39
see the outside. In one way of looking at it, the excitement caused by the Hollywood

blockbusters is originated from the social status of China at the time.

The success of Hollywood blockbusters initiated reflection among Chinese film

makers and directors. They had seen the Hollywood eye-catching technologies and

how they transformed film watching into a whole new experience. “It is almost

impossible to find a national film industry of any given time who does not attempt to

counter American competition.”72 It applies to China too. To compete against

Hollywood blockbusters, some of the “Fifth Generation” film makers started their

transitions from art film to genre film in hope to produce China’s own “dapian”. One

remarkable attempt in the early years was Zhang Yimo’s Hero (2002) which was

found to be influenced by Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). The

Chinese box office of Hero was encouraging, totalling 250 million yuan RMB (about

30 million dollars)73. Besides the “Fifth Generation” and their dapian, one worth

mentioning is Feng Xiaogang who developed his own way to play up to the Chinese

audiences. From The Dream Factory (1998) to Big Shot's Funeral (2001), his “Feng

style” comedy films, most of which were relatively low-budget productions,

established their position in the Chinese cinema especially in the “New Year Season”.

Feng’s comedies took the place of Jackie Chan’s action films and became the regular

“New Year’s Hits” in Chinese cinema.

From 1994 to 2001, China imported a total of 63 Hollywood blockbusters on

revenue-sharing basis. These “dapian” influenced Chinese cinema from the industry

to its audiences and started to induce policy changes from the Chinese government

side. When publicity says “dapian”, moviegoers hear American, Hollywood, high-

72
Kristin Thompson, 1985, pp168
73
The box office data come from: Box Office Mojo, Hero (2004),
<http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=intl&id=hero02.htm> [accessed 11 Nov. 2007].

40
budget and explosive scenes. For Chinese audiences, a dapian or not became a

standard to evaluate a film before they see it. It could actually decide if they would

go to see the film. “Is it a dapian?” people would ask. The dapian effect became a

cultural phenomenon that even influenced the national film production. The

importation of Hollywood blockbusters had indeed reactivated the film market.

Money started to flow again. Both the distribution and the exhibition sectors got their

share. Distribution became less dependent on government support while exhibition

finally got some money to refurbish their old theatres or even to build new ones. The

money did not flow to the production sector, the studios – they did not have “dapian”!

The local film studios, makers and directors realised they need to change in order to

compete against the Hollywood. Domestic “dapian” hence emerged.

One could argue that it all happened because of the presence of Hollywood

blockbusters in the Chinese market. Indeed, it would not have happened this way if

Hollywood blockbusters did not get into China. The local film industry would still be

in deep depression. The question is: who took the initiative? Was it China or

Hollywood? In light of the spirit of opening-up and market liberalisation and under

the pressure to rescue the local film industry, it was China who made the invitation to

Hollywood majors who had been longing to explore the Chinese market. It was not

improvised as a mere command of will – there had been disagreement within the

Chinese side. Beijing Film Corporation had been a strong opponent to China Film

Group Corporation who wanted to bring imported blockbusters to the capital.

According to Jun Gao, an insider of the Beijing film distribution sector, the

disagreement between China Film and Beijing Film was so strong that some even

made it personal. Beijing Film feared the Hollywood blockbusters would “shack the

stability of the entire film industry”. China Film believed stability was everything

41
that the industry did not need – “it is dying anyway”.74 At last, the “reformists”,

those who support the importation, won the argument. In August 1994, The State

Administration of Radio Film and Television issued an official government

document instructing the use of revenue-sharing as the basis for film importation.

Only after then was China Film able to put the importation of revenue-sharing films

into action. Through the use of revenue-sharing, China not only secured the

maximum return from the box office, with Hollywood studios taking away only

about 13 per cent of it, but also preserved full control over the distribution and

exhibition of these films. In the game between China and Hollywood, China had

been in control and been striving to remain this stance through the implementation of

regulations and policies. With the WTO waiting for China just around the corner, the

journey of American family entertainment in China entered another new era.

Post-2001: Opened Door = Free Market?

In a speech at the University of California, Professor Shixian Huang from the Beijing

Film Academy noted that the real “opening” in China came in 2001, as opposed to

1979 which was the standard year generally referred to as the start of the national

reform.75 In December 2001, China joined the WTO, for which China was obliged to

further liberalise its market. The open door policy that China had pursued for the

previous two decades before joining the WTO could be best described as a “selective”

open door policy. The meet the WTO obligation, China had to open up more market

74
Yin, Liang, “Yinjin shoubu dapian beizhi yangmaiban (Imported films accused to make Chinese
film industry depended on foreign companies)”
<http://gb.cri.cn/18824/2008/12/19/2225s2366491.htm> [accessed 10 September 2011]
75
Rosen, Stanley, Hollywood, Globalization and Film Markets in Asia: Lessons for China, p.2-3,
<http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic152447.files/rosen_Hollywood.pdf> [accessed 10 July
2011].

42
sectors for the other member counties to export and invest as well as to further relax

the market sectors that were already open – the film market was the latter.

On 18 December 2001, as a preparation for the incoming new situation on

joining the WTO, the SARFT (State Administration of Radio Film and Television,

formerly the Ministry of Radio Film and Television) issued the Detailed Rules for

Implementation of Film Distribution and Exhibition Reform. The Detailed Rules

explicitly proposed to “adjust the supply mechanism and separate the importation

and distribution of imported films”. It also proposed to break China Film’s monopoly

in releasing imported films by introducing another distribution company. On the

importation side, starting from 2002, the imposed quota on revenue-sharing films

was increase from 10 to 20 as part of the agreement reached during the bilateral

negotiations prior to China’s admission to the WTO. On 29 June 2003, an economic

arrangement (later referred to as Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic

Partnership Arrangement, or CEPA in short) was agreed between China and Hong

Kong, according to which, Hong Kong produced Chinese language films could be

excluded from the above quota subject to approval by the Administration. An

approved Hong Kong film would be distributed as an imported film and receive

“treatment” as a domestic film, such as priority in exhibition arrangement. The

Arrangement promoted co-production between China and Hong Kong. On the

domestic side, a series of Chinese blockbusters such as Hero (2002), A World

Without Thieves (2004), joined by the co-productions by China and Hong Kong, with

their remarkable box office performance, led one wave after another of counter-

strikes to the Hollywood. The game between China and Hollywood reached a new

platform to go forward.

43
 To be fair, it is not a fair game. Although the quota of importation had been

increased, China’s exclusive control over the distribution and exhibition made it a

tough game for Hollywood to play. The support and protection for domestic films

was firmly executed. In December 2002, on entering the Chinese New Year Season,

only Zhang Yimo’s Hero and Jackie Chan starred The Tuxedo were released to the

Chinese cinema. It helped Hero to achieve a legendary box office of 250 million

yuan RMB for a domestic blockbuster. Year 2002 was considered to be the year in

which Chinese cinema finally got out of the depression. The national box office

reached a historical 1 billion yuan RMB. In this year, a total of 18 revenue-sharing

films (16 of them were Hollywood family films) were imported and released in

China. Despite of the unfair treatment due to Hero to the end of the year, these films

still managed to constitute about 50 per cent of the entire box office. In 2004, another

Zhang Yimo’s film received the special “treatment” – the whole July in the Summer

Holiday Season was exclusively given to House of Flying Daggers and secured its

150 million yuan RMB at the box office. In this year, the revenue-sharing

importation quota was fully used. Although having sit out a whole month during the

Summer Holiday Season, the 20 films still performed reasonably well by totalling

600 million yuan RMB at the box office.

Some changes introduced by the reform could have mutual benefit for both local

films and Hollywood films. First of all, the Detailed Rules proposed a new

distributing system built around theatre chains. By implementing the new system, the

local film industry could finally get rid of the highly inefficient and redundant

distribution sector. Under the new system, local studios directly release films to the

theatre chains. For imported films, the theatre chains talk directly to China Film or

Huaxia Film whoever is the distributor. To push the implementation, the Detailed

44
Rules declared that, those regions and theatres that failed to adopt the new system by

1 June 2002 were not be supplied with revenue-sharing blockbusters. The new

theatre chain system effectively improved the revenue distribution within the

business. Theatres and studios saw significant increase in the share they got from the

box office. On 19 June 2003, as proposed by the Detailed Rules, the second

distribution company, Huaxia Film Distribution Corporation, Ltd., was established.

Huaxia Film is a state-owned holding company entitled to release imported films.

According to the Detailed Rules, for the first year China Film and Huaxia Film each

would have to bid to get half of the imported titles. The number of imported films

each company can get for the following years is to be determined by their box office

achievement and their performance in distributing domestic films, especially those

recommended by the Administration. Breaking the monopoly of China Film, the

establishment of Huaxia Film introduced a certain level of competition into the

distribution sector. To secure their share of next year’s imported films they had to put

more effort in their service and marketing strategies. The efficiency and competition

introduced into the distribution sector had benefited both the domestic and the

imported films. Theatres started to earn enough money to be able to invest in their

hardware improvement which could contribute to the further recovery of cinema

attendance. The competition between China Film and Huaxia Film resulted in better

preparation and publicity for the releases of both domestic films and imported films.

No matter it was in the governmental support and protection for the local

production, or in the promotion of the new national film distribution system, or in the

competition between China Film and Huaxia Film, imported films played an

important and interesting part in the reform of the local film industry in the early

2000s. Being excluded from the good seasons, Hollywood had been a victim of

45
China’s special treatment for its domestic productions. On the other hand, in pushing

forward the reform of the local film industry, the entitlements to release and exhibit

imported films (Hollywood blockbusters in particular) had been used as stimuli and

rewards. Imported films were still known to be the money makers. Although some of

the best domestic films were catching up with them, the average box office of

domestic films in general was still far lower than theirs. The way in which imported

films were used shows that, China knew the value of them in enlivening the film

market and at the same time saw them as a potential threat to the domestic

production if not managed sufficiently. The fact that China had never given up its

control over the distribution of the imported films had shown its determination in

remaining as the power user.

Another shift in policy apart from the importation quota related to foreign

investment in Chinese film industry. Before joining WTO, although China opened its

door for foreign films, film related foreign investment was strictly controlled, in

some area, completely banned. At that time, the only way of foreign investment was

through film co-productions. It was not allowed to incorporate production or

distribution companies or to participate in any theatre building or purchasing

activities. As an agreement reached between China and the US on China’s accession

to the WTO, China would ultimately lift the ban on foreign investment in Chinese

theatres which was written into the Regulations on Administration of Films.76

Furthermore, approved by the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Culture,

the SARFT issued the Interim Provisions Concerning Foreign-invested Cinemas on

28 September 2003. The Interim Provisions reaffirmed that China would allow

foreign investment to take part in cinema incorporations and specified that foreign
76
Wang, Ting, “Hollywood’s crusade in China prior to China’s WTO accession”, Jump Cut,
<http://www.ejumpcut.org/archive/jc49.2007/TingWang/index.html> [accessed 30 September 2011]

46
investment should not exceed 49 per cent of the theatre’s registered capital. It also

excluded a few experimental cities from this stringent restraint. As of 2005, for

cinemas in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xi’an, Nanjing or Wuhan,

foreign investment could contribute up to 75 per cent of the registered capital,

subject to approval.

The reactions of foreign investors were different. Companies like United Cinema

International (UCI) were holding a wait-and-see attitude. Most of them were

concerned about the availability of US films in the market due to the hard quota, the

not so convinced box office performance of the majority of Chinese films and the

government ruling over film distribution and exhibition. Other companies were

taking a more positive attitude. Among them, probably the most remarkable were a

series of joint ventures which Warner Bros. International Cinemas (WBIC) was

involved. In July 2003, Shanghai Warner-Yonghua Cinema, a multiplex cooperated

by WBIC and Shanghai Film Group, opened for business. It was WBIC’s first

involvement in Chinese cinemas. At the time, most Chinese cinemas only had one

screen, even for a more developed city like Shanghai. Warner-Yonghua was

Shanghai’s first multiplex. The choices, flexibilities and modern facilities provided

by a multiplex make it more attractive to audiences than a traditional one-screen

cinema. For three successive years since its opening, Shanghai Warner-Yonghua

cinema kept the first place among all Chinese cinemas in terms total box office.77 In

2005, cooperation between WBIC and Shanghai Film led to the opening of another

multiplex cinema, Nanjing Shangying-Warner Cinema. It was the first Chinese

cinema for which WBIC was allowed to commit to the majority of share (51 per

77
Xinhuanet, Warner Bros. secures domestic box office champion,
<http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2006-01/09/content_4027551.htm> [accessed 30 September
2011].

47
cent). In the first year of WBIC’s incorporation, the cinema saw an increase of 43 per

cent in box office and 93 per cent in attendance comparing to the same period of the

previous year.78 By 2005, WBIC had invested a total of 8 cinemas across major cities

in China. The total box office achieved by these cinemas was 120 million yuan RMB

in 2005, a remarkable 6 per cent of the entire Chinese box office of the year.

In 2004, the SARFT and the Ministry of Commerce in their joint No. 44

Announcement (Interim Provisions on the Administration of Chinese-foreign Equity

and Contractual Joint Ventures of Radio and Television Program Production) stated

that China would started to issue approval to foreign investment to incorporate film

production companies through joint ventures, given the condition that the registered

capital of the joint venture is no less than 5 million yuan RMB and the total foreign

investment does not exceed 49 per cent. Immediately after the Announcement, China

Film, Warner Bros. Entertainment and Hengdian Group (a Chinese private enterprise)

incorporated Warner China Film HG Corporation under the agreed holding ratio of

4:3:3. In November of the same, the second approved company, Huaso Film and

Television Production Co., Ltd. was established. It was incorporated by Sony

Pictures and Hualong Film Digital Production Co., Ltd – a subsidiary of China Film.

These companies would produce television programmes, including TV entertainment

shows, dramas as well as films in Chinese language which would then be sold to

China and abroad.

At the time of reform, things were unstable, including the regulations and

policies. This was tough for foreign investors. They did not want to miss out the

chance just to “wait-and-see”; they certainly did not want to waste their money and

time on something that would not turn into profit, either. Sometimes they just had to

78
Ibid.

48
predict and make decision based on assumptions and also be prepared to deal with

any potential policy changes. On 25 February 2005, the SARFT issued the Notice on

Matters Concerning the Implementation of the 2004 No.44 Announcement.

According to the Notice, any foreign investor could only incorporate one media

production company in China. It effectively resulted in a situation in which foreign

companies like Warner Bros. Entertainment and Sony Pictures who had already

incorporated a production company became unable to further expend their business

in China. It would without doubt restrain the development of foreign investment in

film and television production. It was also believed to be a measure to protect local

production companies.

On 6 July 2005, the Several Opinions on Canvassing Foreign Investment into

the Cultural Sector as jointly formulated by the Ministry of Culture, the SARFT,

General Administration of Press and Publication, National Development and Reform

Commission and the Ministry of Commerce was issued. It was titled “opinions” but

had de facto regulation effectiveness. According to the Options, the experimental

cities introduced in the 2003 Interim Provisions were abolished. It means that,

foreign companies like WBIC would not be able to have more than 49 per cent of the

share and therefore would not be able to gain decision-making control over any of

the cinemas it invested. It was considered a great frustration for foreign investors. In

2006, WBIC announced their decision to completely pull out from the six cinemas

they run with their Chinese partners, which was also widely believed to be a result of

this regulatory change. However, according to an insider, it was much more

complicated than that. On the outside, WBIC appeared to be a vigorous participant of

Chinese cinema reform; on the inside, they were actually very cautious. For most of

their involvements, although they were allowed to invest up to a certain percentage,

49
they did not commit to it with real capital. Taking the Wuhan Warner-Wanda cinema

project for example, when the project was kicked off, the entire capital investment

was solely provided by Wanda Group (China). At the time, the Interim Provisions to

increase the ratio of foreign investment in Chinese cinemas was already in effect.

Apparently, WBIC knew the risk. According to the agreement, WBIC incorporate by

giving the consent to use “Warner Bros.” in naming the cinema and providing

billable management support. Their right to commit to the shares would be preserved

for five years during which WBIC was allowed to purchase the cinema’s shares up to

the agreed maximum at any time. Wanda had a high anticipation in WBIC’s

management which later became a major disappointment and the root of

disagreement between the two parties. WBIC basically adopt their multiplex

management approach from the US which, in Wanda’s opinion, did not fit China’s

situation. For one thing, the overpriced snacks did not receive the expected profit.

Second, Wanda could not understand why all the screens had to be in use even when

only 3 per cent of the seats were occupied. Such sort of disagreement did not only

exist between WBIC and Wanda. Genxiong Li, WBIC’s partner in Guangzhou

openly criticised, “WBIC’s management has problems”. Shanghai Film was also

reluctant to let WBIC get involved in much of the management of their Warner-

Yonghua Cinema.79 Although WBIC insisted that their management had no problem,

the cooperation between WBIC and these cinemas soon existed only in name.

Furthermore, according to the Opinions, WBIC would have no immediate possibility

to gain the decision-making control over these cinemas through share purchasing.

And the relation between WBIC and these cinemas made it very unlikely for any

79
Wang, Lin, “Meiguo huana yingyuan tuichu zhongguo zhenxiang (The truth behind Warner Bros.
Retreating from Chinese market)”, The Economy Observer,
<http://mnc.people.com.cn/GB/54823/5068856.html> [accessed 30 September 2011].

50
billable management work to occur. When withdrawing became a reasonable move,

WBIC’s cautious investing strategy paid off. Without much of financial involvement,

WBIC had a smooth pull-out from its cinema business in China, unharmed.

The status of film importation was also changing. The most apparent change was

the increase in importation quota for revenue-sharing films from the previous 10 to

the new limit of 20 starting from 2001. Revenue-sharing had been the primary way

for China to import Hollywood high-budget blockbusters because of historical

reasons. Back to the days of The Fugitive, Lion King and True Lies, these

blockbusters were imported to rescue the film market. The market to be rescued

could hardly offer the money to buy out any Hollywood mega-productions. Even if it

could, it probably would not take the risk. The market was simply so depressed at the

time that no one could guarantee, even with a Hollywood blockbuster at the disposal,

that Chinese audiences would pay to go back to cinema. Revenue-sharing, with

minimum risk, was the obvious and sensible choice. However, revenue-sharing was

not the only form of China’s film importation – it never was. In fact, the most

common way was buy-out. Before The Fugitive, China had been buying out-dated

foreign films at low prices. With the recovery of the film market, this situation

changed, especially after the SARFT, in 2004, started to give private companies the

entitlement to release non-US buy-out films alongside with China Film and Huaxia

Film. In 2005 alone, there were 77 titles submitted to the SARFT for approval among

which 29 were approved. 80 The 29 buy-outs generated 100 million yuan RMB in the

2005 box office. Of course, it was not a huge number, but considering that the

average buy-out price was only around 300 to 400 thousand yuan RMB, the return

was quite to the satisfactory. One of the most remarkable buy-out films that year was
80
Zhong, Minglan, “2005 nian jinkou yingpian de zhongguo shichang (The Imported Films in
Chinese Market in 2005)”, China Film Yearbook, p.273.

51
the French documentary March of the Penguins (2005). Beijing Nian’en Changying

Cultural Communications bought the right to release the film in China for nearly 1

million yuan RMB, which turned out to be a very successful investment by grossing

an astonishing twelve million yuan RMB at the box office. The enthusiasm in buy-

out films among investors reflected the growing capital and confidence in the market.

The enthusiasm also extended to Hollywood blockbusters. Recently, The

Expendables (2010), as a buy-out, managed to harvest a box office of 213.06 million

yuan RMB. It ranked No. 5 among all the imported film of 2010, almost 37 million

yuan RMB ahead of the No.6 Iron Man 2 (2010) which was a revenue-sharing

import. Encouraged by the success of the film The Expendables, the average price for

buy-outs increased by nearly 10 times from 2010 to 2011.81 For Hollywood, the rise

of buy-out films in the market, on one hand, was certainly a new opportunity. It

opened another possibility apart from revenue-sharing for Hollywood studios to sell

their films to China. On the other hand, it also imposed a new challenge – the

challenge from other film export countries and the challenge from the growing

maturity of Chinese audiences and their diverse tastes fostered by the abundant films

available to them.

Besides the rise of buy-out films, another type of films also started to get more

and more popular and, in recent years, became a very strong participant in the film

market. They include Digital, 3D and IMAX films. Because they need to be

exhibited with non-traditional equipment in special venues, they are collectively

referred to as “te zhong pian (special-venue films)” in China. In November 2002, the

SARFT issued the Interim Provisions on the Administration of Special-Venue Films.

81
Anon., “Gansidui hou pipian chengben chaogao, feng xian jiangao jingti peiqian (The Expendables
stimulate the buy-out film market, risk increases)”
<http://yule.ccvic.com/yspl/2011/0907/97359.shtml > [accessed 10 September 2011].

52
To enrich the film market and also to encourage the cinemas to upgrade their

equipment and venues, special-venue films were excluded from the revenue-sharing

importation quota. In 2003, China Film Digital Cinema Co, Ltd. was established in

Beijing. It is a subsidiary of China Film and is given the exclusive entitlement to

distribute special-venue films in China. Starting from 2003, special-venue films

became available in Chinese cinemas. These films were basically 2D Digital copies

of the normal versions, until the 3D version of the Journey to the Centre of the Earth

(2008) was released in China in 2008. Another 3D release in the 2008 Chinese

cinema was Bolt (2008), which was the first 3D animated feature ever released in

China. Special-venue films in China took a big step forward in 2009. In this year

alone, a total of 12 special-venue films, consisting of 5 3D, 4 IMAX, 2 IMAX Digital

and 1 with both 3D version and IMAX version, were imported and released. Among

them, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), as a 3D-only release during the

Summer Holiday Season, achieved a satisfactory box office of 156.9 million yuan

RMB and ranked at this year’s 3rd place among all the imported films. The film was

considered to be the box office dark horse of the year. Considering that there were

only around 300 3D exhibition venues nationwide in 2009, its box office

achievement was quite remarkable. Cinemas were encouraged by the box office

success of Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and the number of 3D exhibition venues

significantly increased. By the end of 2009, the national 3D-ready venues had

increased to nearly 500. The fact that the importation of special-venue films does not

subject to the revenue-sharing quota indicates a certain level of relaxation in the

control over film importation with respect to the quantity. Certain Hollywood

blockbusters with 3D or IMAX versions do not have to go through the revenue-

53
sharing route to get into the Chinese market. Both buy-out and special-venue are now

legit and viable alternatives to revenue-sharing for Hollywood studios.

Another change in importation was the simplification and speedup in the

approving process which made it possible for international simultaneous release. The

delay in release would almost definitely have a negative impact on the box office.

The worst situation happens when a film is released in China after its DVD release in

the US or EU, one of the example being S.W.A.T (2003). The film was premiered in

China on 23 April 2004, almost 5 months after its DVD release in the US. Although

the DVD was not yet released in China, pirate DVD copies and p2p download of the

DVD rips had long been available. This 200 million dollar worldwide grossed

Hollywood blockbuster was described as “no much of performance” in the Chinese

cinema.82 China realised that this kind of delay in release would only benefit piracy.

“Reducing the censorship processing time is the right move. Time is money, time is

profit – it applies to film market.”83 The first imported film to achieve global

simultaneous release in China was The Matrix Reloaded (2003). The second was The

Day After Tomorrow (2004). Both of these two films achieved satisfactory box office

results. “Global Simultaneous Release” started to be used as a publicity stunt. This

phrase would appear on film posters, billboard advertisement and banners hanging

outside the cinema. Although not every global simultaneous release had turned into

box office success, pushing it forward had in a way shown China’s effort in

combating piracy. In recent years, China had also closed down or regulated a series

of websites that used to provide p2p download links for visual and audio products. It

82
Zhu, Yuqing, “Jifeng zhi jincao 2 (Strength is truly tested in crisis 2)”, Chinese Film Market, 2
(2009), pp20-23.
83
Zhong, Minglan, “2005 nian jinkou yingpian de zhongguo shichang (The Imported Films in
Chinese Market in 2005)”, China Film Yearbook, p.273.

54
helped to construct a healthier market which benefited both the local film industry

and Hollywood.

Looking back in time, the new era for American entertainment in China after

China’s accession to the WTO has been an era of both opportunities and challenges.

For Hollywood, the opportunities come from the relaxation of the policies as well as

the recovery of the market – same for the challenges. It is hard to argue that the

policies are kindly formulated to benefit Hollywood studios when they have a strong

focus on protecting the local industry. China opened it door to Hollywood films;

however, it is still not a fully liberalised market. The important thing is: the

importation quota has indeed increased and some of the regulatory changes do have

positive influence on both China and Hollywood. The real challenge is the instability

of the policies. A new policy could become invalid in a matter of months, or even

shorter, which could potentially benefit or harm business decisions made previously.

Hollywood majors have been taking extra care dealing with such kind of situations.

As for the reviving film market, it is good news for both the local industry and

Hollywood. The increase in box office reflects the growing consumption capability

of the Chinese audiences, which will consequently draw more investment into this

business. The prosperity in the buy-out film market is demonstrating this capital

movement. For Hollywood studios, this is a work-around to the hard quota on

revenue-sharing importation to further increase their business share in the market. It

also introduces new challenges for Hollywood. In the market, they will have to

compete not only against the domestic productions, but also against the increasing

number of new films from other places like Japan, Korean, India and some European

countries. It is no longer the time when “dapian” is appealing enough for the Chinese

audiences. They now have varied tastes for films; more importantly, they have

55
choices. How to attract more Chinese audiences to the cinemas will long remain as a

subject for Hollywood studios, as well as their importers, to study.

Lessons for Hollywood

For the many years since its re-entry in 1994, Hollywood has been a participant of

China’s film industry reform. The relationship between Hollywood and China has

ebbed and flowed, with alternating periods of optimism and pessimism on each

side.84 As of 2010, the total number of Hollywood films imported on revenue-sharing

basis has reached 211. History has lost track of the number of Hollywood films

imported on non-revenue-sharing but, drawing from some individual cases (March of

the Penguins, The Expendables) and their aftermath, a reasonable guess should be

that the number is increasing. The table below summarises the number of films

imported each year from 1994 to 2010. The numbers in parentheses are those from

Hollywood.

The Number of Films Imported from 1994 – 2010*

Year Revenue-sharing (US) Non-revenue-sharing

1994 2 (1) 60
1995 9 (6) 51
1996 10 (10) 44
1997 10 (7) 40
1998 10 (7) 45
1999 10 (7) 44
2000 15 (12) 27
2001 16 (12) 25

84
Rosen, Stanley, “‘The wolf at the door’: Hollywood and the film market in china from 1994-2000”,
in Southern California and the World, ed. by E.J. Heikkila and R. Pizarro (Westport: Greenwood
Publishing Group, 2002), pp.49-78.

56
 Year Revenue-sharing (US) Non-revenue-sharing
2002 19 (16) 24
†
2003 21 (20) 20
2004 19 (14) 30
2005 20 (17) 29
2006 20 (17) 30
2007 20 (17) 30
2008 22 (17) 21
2009 19 (15) 33
2010 20 (16) 42

* Data are extracted from China Film Yearbook (1994 - 2010).

† There are years in which revenue-sharing importation exceeds the quota, which shows a
certain level of flexibility in executing the policy.

Hollywood blockbusters are expected to perform well in the Chinese film market

– basically why they are imported. The fact is: they do not always perform as

expected. There is probably not much to talk about when it goes as expected; but

when it does not, there is a good chance for lessons learnt. In this section, a mini case

study of Mulan (1998) is presented. It should be noted that this is not a reception

study of the film. It is represented here because serves as an excellent example for

many issues that have been discussed in this chapter. A reception study of Mulan is

presented in Chapter 4.

Mulan (1998)

The film Mulan (1998) was released in China in 1999. Disney had great expectation

for this animated feature based on a Chinese folklore, hoping it might replicate the

success of their 1994 film The Lion King. Worldwide, it was one of the most

profitable films in Disney history. Quite to the opposite, it had proved to be flop in

the animated heroine's birthplace. The film closed in Hunan province after taking just

US$30, 000 at the box office in three weeks. In Shanghai, only 200,000 of the city’s

57
14 million population (1.4 per cent) went to see the film. Most arguments attribute

Mulan’s failure to cultural issues such as the lack of cultural resonating from the

audiences.

“If the taste of an audience that is so different from that in the West is not

easy to predict, then films based on Chinese stories, such as Mulan, are

less likely to resonate culturally with the local audience as they can be

easily Americanized or Disneyized.”85

The following analysis will show that cultural barrier is overrated in the

unexpected failure of the film. In fact, the failure is a result of a combination of

economic, political and cultural effects.

In 1999, the Chinese film market suffered from the decrease in cinema

attendance across almost all regions.86 The imported films did not manage to rescue

the situation. In that year, a total of 44 films were imported, only one short from that

of 1998. However, the total box office dropped sharply by 71 per cent.87 Although

the highly successful Titanic (1998) contributed a good amount to the 1998 box

office, the drop in 1999 was still considered a sign of regression in the Chinese film

market in general. There had been roundabouts during the recovery of the Chinese

film market. Basically, there are two causes behind this particular regression. First,

under the macroeconomic control imposed by the Chinese government, most

enterprises and public institutions had to reduce their budget, which immediately

reflected on their employee benefits. One of the affected common benefits was

entertainment subsidise including “group tickets” for films. At that time, enterprises
85
Wang, Ting, “Hollywood’s crusade in China prior to China’s WTO accession”, Jump Cut,
<http://www.ejumpcut.org/archive/jc49.2007/TingWang/index.html> [accessed 30 September 2011]
86
Zhang, Y., “Fengyu jiancheng de 1999 -Jinkou yingpian shichang zongshu (The Industry of
Imported Film in 1999)”, in China Film Yearbook, ed. by Editorial group of China Film Yearbook.
(Beijing: Publishing Group of China Film Yearbook., 2000), p. 147.
87
Ibid., p.147.

58
and institutions buying group tickets and then giving them to their employees as a

kind of benefit was an important type of film consumption in China.88 The loss in

group tickets sale contributed a significant part of the box office decrease. Second,

the Chinese audiences started to select which films to go to more deliberately.

Instead of scrambling for a seat at any imported blockbusters, the Chinese audience

started to pick only those films that satisfy their anticipation. Mulan and the other

imported blockbusters did not come to the miraculous rescue of the Chinese box

office in 1999 – if it were five years ago, they probably could have.

Apart from the general regression in film market, some political issues also

contributed to Mulan’s failure at the box office. In 1999, China was preparing to

welcome its two big days – the 50th National Day and the taking over of Macao. For

the whole of the year, the Chinese mainstream media were preoccupied by the

propaganda of these two events. It placed the publicity of foreign films like Mulan in

a very hard place.

Another influential event was Disney’s release of KunDun back to 1997.

KunDun (1997) was a Disney-funded biography of the Dalai Lama. The Chinese

government considered the content of the film politically provocative. As a result, all

Disney’s products were banned in China. It gave the censorship approval of Mulan a

very hard time. After a year’s negotiations, on 23 February 1999, the film was finally

given the limited Chinese release (not to be released in Beijing), which was already

eight months delayed from its release in the US.89 Piracy had already become a

serious problem in the Chinese film market, especially for imported films. According

88
Ibid., p.148.
89
Groves, D., Disney hopes China will welcome ‘Mulan’: ‘Kundun’ flap may affect release, Variety,
Wed., Aug. 5, 1998, Variety.com.
<http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117479140.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&query=Mulan+china>[ a
ccessed 01 Feb. 2008].

59
to Ying Zhang, “the problem (of piracy) remains unsolved for years with a tendency

of becoming more serious,” which “compromises the development of a healthy film

market”.90 The delay in release increased the impact of piracy on Mulan. Before its

final release in China, a large portion of its potential customers who could not wait

might have already got their pirate copies.

By the time the film was release, the Chinese New Year Season had already

passed. Therefore it did not get a bit share of the most profitable Chinese holiday

market. At the same time, a lot of propaganda films celebrating the 50th National Day

and the reunification of Macao started to get into the market. These films were given

priorities in screening schedule by the government, leaving Mulan with even less

space to perform. Two months later, Mulan was released in Beijing. It was another

bad timing because most students were preparing for their mid-term examinations.91

Adding frost to snow, on May 7 1999, during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia

(Operation Allied Force), five US JDAM bombs hit the Chinese embassy in the

Belgrade district of New Belgrade, killing three Chinese reporters and outraging the

Chinese public. The incident effectively resulted in a national ban of US films across

all Chinese cinemas.92 It was only five weeks after Mulan’s release in Beijing. The

ban led to a five-month gap during which no US films were exhibited in Chinese

cinemas. At the end, to Disney’s great disappointment, Mulan only grossed about 11

million yuan RMB (US$1.78 million) in the Chinese market.

Of course, the “foreign-looking” incarnation and mannerisms of the heroine may

as well be blamed for the film’s poor performance in China; however, it is not the

sole or the most important reason. The unexpected market and political conditions

90
Ibid., p.148.
91
Zhou, F., 1999.
92
Zhang, Y., 2000, p.148.

60
under which Mulan was released in China put the film into a very disadvantageous

position, which effectively led to its failure at the box office. If it was given a more

ordinary situation, Mulan should have done better.

This mini case study should shed some light on how to understand the box office

performance of an imported Hollywood film in China. Mulan is by no means a

typical case because it was in release under a series of extraordinary conditions.

However, it serves well as an example of the many challenges Hollywood have to

face during its encounter with China who is not only an economic but also a political

and a cultural entity. The market performance or the industrial significance of a film

and the reception of the audiences to this film are different issues. But, knowing

under what economic, political and cultural conditions a film is delivered to the

audiences is important because it sets up the fundamental environment in which the

meanings are to be interpreted. It is the ultimate reason for which the entire chapter is

presented here as the first chapter of the thesis.

61
Chapter 2 Only Child Generation – A

Mediation Model

“Only where events occur in such a manner as to demarcate a cohort in

terms of is ‘historical-social’ consciousness, should we speak of a true

generation.”93

The idea that the characteristics that distinguish one generation to another are

formed by social and political events of its youth is not new and is often associated

with the name of Karl Manheim who emphasised that a generation is a social

creation rather than a biological necessity. The Only Child Generation (OCG) is

exactly the case. Although a definition of the OCG based on year of birth is given

earlier, it is only intended to be used as a reference to social and political timelines.

What make the OCG distinctive are their social characteristics.

As one of the world’s largest developing countries, China, in the late 1970s, was

at its two historical turning points. One is the national economic reform initialised by

the Open Door Policy, the other one is the implementation of the One Child Policy as

a government-guided population control of the nation. Thirty years have passed.

These two policies together have resulted in China’s tremendous changes in

economic, social and cultural aspects. The Open Door Policy has led China through

the remarkable economic growth and swift modernisation progress that the world has

seen. The One Child Policy, as claimed by the government, has prevented 400

million births. A special Chinese generation emerged during this period. They were

93
Schuman, Howard and Scott, Jacqueline, “Generations and Collective Memories”, American
Sociological Review, 54 (1989). p.359.

62
born and grew up as the only child of the family and are referred to as the Only Child

Generation (OCG). This thesis cares about the encounter between the OCG and an

important participant of China’s modernisation process, the American family

entertainment.

In this chapter, the OCG will be approached as a group of media users and

recipients. The chapter sets out to explore the “media qualities” of the OCG, that is,

the characteristics they present when encounter media texts or messages, and to

understand what tendency they have in meaning making and how they accept or

reject certain meanings. The chapter is organised in the following way. Firstly, to

provide some background information, the introduction of the One Child Policy, its

implementation and consequently the emergence and the rise of the OCG are given.

Secondly, tracing back in time, the chapter then focuses on the availability of

entertainment to them from both domestic and foreign resources and their encounter

with them from their childhood to their adolescence and adulthood. Thirdly, the

chapter then digs into the four distinctive aspects of their life – family, education,

gender and childhood memory – with which they often make connections when

appreciating the texts and the messages they convey. By doing this, the chapter seeks

to understand why certain texts resonate or fail to resonate to the OCG – the “media

qualities” of the OCG.

The Emergence and Rise of the Only Child Generation

Nowadays, China is the world’s most populous country with a statistical total of

1,339,724,852 according to the most recent National Census carried out in November

63
2010.94 When the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was founded in 1949, the

estimated population was about 500 million. By 1981, this number had doubled to 1

billion. Seeing the growing population as what would cause serious social, economic

and environmental problems and hold back the modernisation of the country, in 1978,

the Chinese government established a national population control scheme under the

official translation of Family Planning Policy which is most commonly known by a

different name – One Child Policy. It was set as one of the basic state policies of

China.

The policy was initially applied to the first-born children in 1979 in urban China.

Ethnic minorities and couples with rural registers are not subject to the policy. The

policy is enforced at provincial level by a government department called Population

and Family Planning Commission. Each provincial government has its own detailed

rules to implement the policy such as the amount of the fines to be collected if one

breaks the rules but it is basically implemented as such: if a woman wants to give

birth, she or her family needs to apply for a “birth permit” from one of the local

government’s sub-district offices. The woman then needs to bring this permit to her

antenatal checks as well as to her final delivery. If she is found to have child or

children by the sub-district office, fines will occur before a birth permit is issued. If

she gives birth at a hospital without showing a valid permit, it is the hospital’s

responsibility to report to the sub-district office. The new born baby will not be

added to the household register until relevant fines are cleared. A household register

in China is linked to education and other state benefits. The wording of the policy is

to “encourage single child” but it is in fact implemented through punishing more than

94
National Bureau of Statistics of China, Communiquéof the National Bureau of Statistics of People's
Republic of China on Major Figures of the 2010 Population Census (No. 2),
<http://www.stats.gov.cn/was40/gjtjj_en_detail.jsp?searchword=census&channelid=9528&record=2>,
[accessed on 1 May 2011].

64
encouraging. In the early years of the implementation of One Child Policy, one could

suffer more than just the fines, such as pay deduction or even loss of job.

The policy was effectively implemented. According to the statistics published by

the Chinese government, more than 80 per cent of the new babies born between 1979

and 1990 are only-children; this thesis defines them as the OCG. The OCG emerged

a special Chinese generation. They are special not only because they are the only

child in the family. The family structure and the social environment into which they

were born and in which they have to grow up differed to those of their parental

generation. Not only their parents, but also the society know that they are different –

they know it, too. When something different emerges, concerns arise. Interesting

enough, the first to express such concerns were not the Chinese but the Americans,

probably inspired by their “Me Generation”. An article titled “A Rash of ‘Little

Emperors’” was published in Newsweek on 18 March 1985 in which the authors

expressed their concerns about this generation including the 4-2-1 syndrome (a

typical family of four adoring grandparents, two indulgent parents and one spoiled

child). It seemed to have resonated with the Chinese society and media at the time.

“Little emperor” was soon widely used to refer to the OCG – it is still being used

today but most often appears in the form of “once the little emperor”.

Nowadays, the oldest of the OCG have entered their 30s; even the youngest have

become young adults. Again, the world today is so different to that of the time they

were born. How have they been? Have they fallen as “a falling generation” that

people feared they might be? If we take a fresh look at this generation, we might

think differently. There is a very popular Internet quotation originated by Libo Zhou,

a Chinese comedian. He said,

65
 “There is such a generation in China: at the time they were paying for

primary school, universities were free; when primary schools finally

became free, they had to pay go to a university. When they were not yet to

start working, everybody had a job; now they are looking for a job, so is

everybody. … Why are they always left behind? They complain. They

suffer. They still have live and they have live strong. It’s their life.”

The OCG did not grow up under the favourable conditions like most people had

predicted for them. Instead, their growing up is full of frustrations and challenges.

The education reform, the job hunting crisis, the rocketing house prices comparing to

their relatively stable income, they had to face them one after another. For them, it

had been a struggling process to deal with these challenges from the society. At the

same time, they also had to solve their problems within the family. As the only child

of the family, they had been given the focus of attention as a child, and consequently,

all the hope and responsibilities as a grownup. The 4-2-1 syndrome now works just

the opposite way – one working adult taking care of 6 retired elderly.

The OCG has entered their peak time in consumption and is contributing a major

part in the consuming capacity of the society.95 They are also leading a consumption

revolution in China.96 In entertainment consumption, it is no exception. In a study

carry out by Beijing Film Academy on the audience composition of Lord of the

Rings: The Return of the King, the OCG was found to constitute over 60 per cent of

95
Yang, Yi, On Consumer Behaviour of the Only Child Generation in China. (Guangzhou:Jinan
University Press), p.3.
96
Lu, Taihong, Zhang, Hongming and Yang, Ji, “Zhongguo Dushengdai (Chinese Only Child
Generation)”, China Marketing, 05(2004), <http://www.emkt.com.cn/article/285/28555.html>
[accessed 20 May 2008].

66
the entire audience group aged from 16 to 25.97 The challenges they have gone

through grant them with rich life experiences and these experiences will work back

on their appreciation of entertainment. It should be noted that, their appreciation of

some entertainment will also influence their appreciation of the others. In the next

section, an overview of the film and television entertainment for the OCG will be

given. It will focus on several important kinds of film and television entertainment

that they experienced in their childhood.

Entertainment for the OCG

In Chinese cinema, there is a special kind of films that are produced solely for

children. They are called children’s films. For quite a long time, these films have

been mostly state-funded. Since 1949 after the foundation of the PRC, a rough

statistic suggests that nearly 400 children’s films have been produced. These films

are not intended to make any profit; they are produced with a strong focus on

education, encouraging good behaviour and promoting patriotism and communism.

The period between 1949 and 1980 is the first stage of development for Chinese

children’s film. A total of 56 children’s films are produced during this period, most

of which follow a model that praises the glory of the revolution and the new life in

social democracy. Some of them, such as The Letter With Chicken Feather (Ji Mao

Xin, 1954), Flowers of the Motherland (Zu Guo De Hua Duo, 1955), Little Soldier

Zhangga (Xiao Bing Zhangga, 1963), Little Wooden Head (Xiao Ling Dang, 1963)

and Sparkling Red Star (Shan Shan De Hong Xing, 1974), are representative works

97
Liu, Jun, “Dianying ‘qihuan’ xiaofei: zhihuanwang3 de kuawenhua guanzhong jieshou xiaoguo
yanjiu (Fantasy consumption: a reception study of Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)”, Journal
of Beijing Film Academy, 03(2004), p.69.

67
during this period. Many elements from these films have become symbolic

representations of that era. The theme songs, protagonists, and even some of the lines

have left their indelible marks in the memory of their audiences. Also, these films

create two set models for children’s film which I summarized as the “little heroes in

war” and the “good students at school”. Many of these films are still being shown

nowadays as activities organised by schools for their pupils to receive education in

patriotism.

Children’s film experienced its golden booming age in the 1980s during which a

total of 115 children’s films were produced. Chinese government put a lot of effort to

help with its development. China Children’s Film Studio was founded. It is a film

studio dedicated to the production of children’s film and was directed funded by the

government. China Children’s Film Academy was also established during this period.

And the “Golden Calf Award”, an annual festival and competition for children’s film,

was launched. The children’s films produced during this period can be divided into

three categories based on the storyline. In the first category are those films further

developed from the “little heroes in war” but the protagonist portraying and the plot

were very much improved. The second category covers the films that bear the

characteristics of the “good students at school” model. This kind of children’s film

tells stories about the school life of pupils (e.g. The Sonata of Little Hedgehog, 1983)

and middle-school students (e.g. The Girl in Red, 1984). Most children’s films fall

into this category. Among them, My September (Wo de Jiu Yue, 1990) was one of the

very few titles that became very popular among the OCG. The story is about two

primary school boys who are very good friends, competing against each other for the

opportunity to perform in the opening of the 11th Asian Games held in Beijing. The

OCG audiences say, “the characters feel real”, “deeply moved”, “seen it many times”,

68
“educational without giving lectures” when reviewing this film.98 The third category

is a new kind developed in this period – children’s science-fiction film, a good

example being Wonder Boy (Pi Li Beibei, 1988) which is about an alien-adopted boy

who has supernatural abilities and his adventure in seeking for friendship and

understandings in the ordinary world. Being the very first Chinese film to tells a

story about alien, its plot was considered very novel by the audiences. The later

development of children’s film generally followed the above three categories.

Apart from children’s film, another kind of Chinese film, propaganda film, also

had its significant presence in the childhood of the OCG. They are mostly war films

about wartime heroes and events of significance to the founding of the Party and the

PRC. The OCG had actually seen a lot of these films in their childhood, not totally

spontaneously though. From time to time, the schools would organise free viewings

of these films. The viewings would take place during normal school hours so all the

pupils were expected to attend. After the viewing, they were often required to submit

their “reflections” – an essay to describe what they had learned from the film. Having

to write “reflections” bothered the OCG because they felt they were “forced” to do it.

Born and raised in the peacetime, they feel hard to resonate with ideas that these

films try to convey. “I know what they (the teachers) expect me to write. It’s just so

hard and boring to fabricate the words.” “I’ll always remember this film because it

was such a pain! Not a pain to watch but to have to write the reflections!”99 These

remarks are made by an OCG audience when describe his experience with a classic

Chinese propaganda film Di Dao Zhan (Tunnel Warfare, 1965) in his childhood.

98
Douban, Wo de jiuyue (My September), <http://movie.douban.com/subject/1467748/> [accessed 22
August 2011].
99
Tianya, Shibayi ren de didaozhan (1.8 billion people’s Tunnel Warfare),
<http://www.tianya.cn/publicforum/content/no06/1/187463.shtml> [accessed 22 August 2011].

69
 For the OCG, television was the spontaneous way of entertainment in their

childhood. For China’s entertainment import, television was ahead of film in the

1980s and the early 1990s. In the 1980s, there were already updated foreign

programmes being shown on Chinese television, such as the Japanese cartoon series

Astro Boy. There were also domestic programmes that the OCG could enjoy,

including animated feature films which were generally shown on television instead

of in cinema, cartoons, cartoon series, children’s television programmes and even

some drama series. Compared to film, their entertainment choices from the television

were far more varied. Of all the programmes, animated programmes, including

animated feature films and television cartoons, were the most important ones. The

importance was reflected by both their abundance and popularity.

Shanghai Animation Film Studio is an icon of Chinese animated film. It was

founded in 1957 and was specialised with the production of animated films including

Chinese drawing, puppet, paper-cutting and paper-folding films. Many of its

productions in its early years (1950s – 1980s), such as Guo Hou Shan (1958), Yu

Tong (1959), Xiao Kedou Zhao Mama (1960), Ren Shen Wawa (1962), Da Nao Tian

Gong (1965), Nezha Nao Hai (1979), Hou Zi Lao Yue (1981), Tian Shu Qi Tan (1983)

and Hu Lu Xiong Di (1986), are considered by the OCG as the classics. These films

are made using traditional Chinese forms of art such as Chinese painting and paper-

cutting. The designs of the characters all bear distinctive Chinese fashions; they look

very much like the characters that would appear in a traditional Chinese New Year

Painting. Foreign cartoon programmes were also available on television for the OCG.

Most of them were from the US, Japan and some European countries. Disney’s

Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck series was probably the most influential among

them. Japanese cartoons such as Astro Boy (Tie Bi A Tong Mu) and Ikkyu-san (Cong

70
Ming de Yi Xiu), and those from European countries such as The Smurfs (Lan Jing

Ling, Belgium), had also achieved a certain level of popularity. All these cartoon and

animated programmes, from both domestic and abroad, constituted the majority part

of OCG’s television viewing experience during in their childhood.

In general, the OCG’s childhood film and television entertainment is a

composition of both domestic and foreign products, of both spontaneous and forced

experience. When Hollywood family films with other Hollywood blockbusters later

become available to them, their appreciation of these films are often found to have

connections with their childhood entertainment experience as well as some other life

experience of theirs which will be discussed in the following sections.

The Family as They Know It

Family in modern Chinese is 家 (pronounced as jiā), which means both “family” and

“home”. It is a pictograph character developed from its ancient form which takes

the form of a house. The formation of the character reflects how family is traditional

understood by the Chinese – it is a place for people to live in. In a traditional Chinese

family, all family members should live together generation after generation. A

renowned Chinese writer Lao She described the life of a family like this in his novel

Si Shi Tong Tang (Four Generations under One Roof). Four-generations-under-one-

roof is the ideal state for a tradition Chinese family. The fact that the eldest of the

family, the sons, the grandsons and the grand grandsons all present and live together

represents the continuance and prosperity of the family. This traditional family

formation emphasises the family as a group and discourage the development of

individualism. The purpose of the family is always higher than that of an individual

71
family member. Every family member should work together to achieve the greater

goal of the family. Such family is bonded and run with a strong sense of hierarchy.

The elder generation outrank the younger generation. The eldest of the family, often

the male of the eldest generation, is the prime who controls the entire family.

Complying with this family hierarchy, “xiao shun” (filial piety) is deemed as the

most important duty of all. It not only implies the duty to take care of the elderly but

also that to obey their will and orders.

With the development of the society, this traditional form of family gradually

decomposed into smaller units. It happened as a result of the boom in urban

residential construction during which people moved from houses to apartments.

Because of the abundance in housing, married couples started to have the luxury to

move out from their parents’ apartments when they get married. Although family

members do not physically live together as in the traditional family form, the spirit of

the tradition, such as the hierarchical state of mind and disregard of individualism,

still present. Being “xiao shun” is still considered as the most important quality of a

good son or daughter.

As a result of the One Child Policy, a typical urban OCG family is composed of

three family members – father, mother and child. This rather closed circle makes it

difficult to communicate with the outside. Because both parents had to work and

often had no time to pick them up from the school, many of the OCG have to go

home by themselves. For their safety, they were instructed to go home directly after

school. And when they got home, they had to lock themselves in, do their homework.

Then they would watch some TV and wait for their parents to come home. This

family formation and life routine resulted in two disappointments in the family life of

the OCG. The first is the lack of brothers or sisters. There was no one of the similar

72
age in the family to play together with. They were often left home alone with no one

else to communicate with. The second is the lack of communication with the outside

world. A residential apartment often makes a distanced neighbourhood. Neighbours

do not look after or even speak to each other and the safety was not good in general.

Most of the OCG had at least once told by their parents of this sentence or a similar,

“When you’re home alone, no matter who knocks the door, do not open it!” The

protection their parents imposed on them also distances them from society.

The hierarchical state of mind exists in the parent-child relationship in OCG

families. The fact that the OCG children are the only offspring of their parents brings

about some change into the hierarchy. As the only children, they become the only

successors who can carry forward the legacy of the families to the future. An only

child gets all the care and attentions from the parents which would normally be

divided between brothers and sisters in a non-only-child family. A study by Shixian

Ding shows that problems exist in the parent-child relationship in many OCG

families in China. The OCG children grow up as the centres of attentions of their

families. Considering their only child as the only hope of the family, a couple’s

desire for this child to succeed is so strong that they cannot accept anything to go

wrong. With the living conditions being improved, they are keener to provide the

child with things to satisfy their material needs. At the same time, they want to stay

in control and do not allow the child to challenge their decisions; they want to make

sure that the child develops towards what they believe to be the good future. The

study by Ding indicates that, these parents tend to use material input to express

attentions and love to their children, which overlooks the emotional communication

73
and connection.100 Because of the high expectations they have on their children, they

often appear in a strict and powerful figure which makes the children reluctant to

communicate with them. The situation results in a generational gap which is

considered to be a serious problem in OCG families.101 The lack of communication

with their parents is another disappointment for the OCG in their family life.

These disappointments they have for their family life influence their

appreciation for entertainment. The OCG’s reception to Growing Pains (1985–1992)

is one of the examples that are linked with their childhood family experiences.

“It is a relief to my growing pains. Whenever I feel lonely or sad I will

watch it.”

“I grew up with this TV. My childhood memory, the content, the anger, the

happiness and the sadness, they are all in there.”

“I wish I had a family like this.”

The US situation comedy is about the life of an affluent family, residing in

Huntington, New York, with a working mother and a stay-at-home psychiatrist father

raising three children together. It displayed a different family to the OCG audiences

sitting in front of the TV. The whole series of 7 seasons and 177 episodes in total

was imported, dubbed and broadcast on Chinese television by Shanghai Television

from 1990 to 1994 and is suggested by many OCG audiences as a “classic”.

Although the OCG audiences expressed their reception in different wordings, their

expressions are mostly made in connection with their family life experience as the

only children. It made them know “how sad it is to be an only child” and at the same

time let them experience the “tender feeling” and the “warmth”. It also led them to

100
Ding, S. X., ‘Dui chengshi yidai dushengzinü jiaoyu wenti de shehuixue kaocha’ (Social Studies
on the Education of the Only Child Generation in Urban China), Renkou yanjiu (Population Research),
5(1989), 8-12(p.9).
101
Ibid, p.10.

74
judge their own experience and question about the way their parents treated them.

Many of the OCG agree that “it (the parent-child relationship in the story) is of great

inspiration for us when we become parents” – note the indirect way they adopt to

express disagreement to their parents. They look forward to the “democracy” among

family members like it was shown in the TV, and appreciate the way they deal with

disagreements between parents and children.

According to Nielsen ratings, Growing Pains is not among the most successful

TV series in the US, with estimated number of viewers peaked during its 1986-1987

season at about 19.83 million.102 Compared to this, the reaction it caused in China is

much stronger. This is because the audiences feel the difference between the family

they experience in real life and that displayed in the drama which generated

resonance from the audiences. Apart from the favourable responses from the

audiences, its impact is also reflected in other ways. For example, a later imported

television series from Disney Channel, Lizzie McGuire, is titled in Chinese as “New

Growing Pains”. The Chinese situation comedy Home with Kids is also considered to

be a Chinese adaptation of Growing Pains. Interesting enough, the family setup in

Home with Kids is exactly the same as that in Growing Pains – two parents and three

children of two boys and one girl – which is not a typical family setup in China.

From the above example it can be seen that, because they have these

disappointments in their family life, the OCG will respond to media messages that

are in connection with these disappointments. They will disapprove and reject the

messages that they believe to be incorrect, approve and resonate with the messages

that reflect their experience, and appreciate the solutions to their problems in the

messages. It is an interesting fact that Home with Kids mimics the setup of Growing
102
Classic TV Hits, TV Ratings: 1986-1987, <http://www.classictvhits.com/tvratings/1986.htm>
[accessed 26 August 2011].

75
Pains. In a way, the idea of creating Home with Kids and using a family setup like

this indicate that the media are aware of what is missing in Chinese families and are

using this understanding to play up to the audiences.

Tomboy, to Be or Not to Be

There is an old Chinese saying, “Bu xiao you san, wu hou wei da.” It means, “There

are three ways to be unfilial; having no sons is the worst”, which shows how

important it is in Chinese tradition for a family to have a male child. Traditionally,

the continuance of the family, the everlasting of the family blood and legacy, is

considered extremely important by Chinese people. The only way to achieve such

continuance is for a male adult of the family to have a male descendent. The

breakage of the family continuance is considered a devastating misfortune and those

who are responsible are considered to be the sinner to his ancestors.

The following scene is often seen in film or television drama that reflects the life

of a traditional Chinese family. A husband is waiting anxiously outside the delivery

room, maybe a room of his own house, in which her wife is trying to deliver their

baby. Suddenly, a baby’s cry is heard. Door open, a midwife emerges. Depending on

what the midwife says next, the scene will develop in two different ways. The

midwife says, 1) “Many congratulations! It’s a boy!” The husband bursts into happy

tears and yells, “I have a son, now! The Zhang’s (the husband’s family name) finally

have a descendent!” He then enters the room to his wife’s side, holding her hands,

gratitude on his face. 2) “It’s a girl.” The husband snorts with anger and

disappointment, then strides to the outside. The wife is left alone in the delivery

room with the baby girl, tears running down her face. The above scenes may appear

76
in fictional stories but are very much based on reality. They are very likely to happen

in real life especially in the old days.

With the cultural and social development of China, the equality between men

and women is being emphasised by the public opinion and the mainstream media.

However, the idea of preserving the family line and hence the favouritism to boys is

still deeply burned into the ideology of many Chinese. Combined with the influence

of the One Child Policy, it has generated a new series of social situations in China.

Previously, if a couple do not have a boy, they can always try; after the establishment

of the One Child Policy, most couples do not have the luxury to do so – they now

have only one chance. China’s One Child Policy has generated recurring debates in

relation to gender issues. One general voice claims that it leads to serious social

problems by encouraging abortion and introducing gender imbalance to the

population. Steven Mosher, President of the Population Research, states that China’s

sex imbalance has already reached epic proportions by quoting a study published in

the British Medical Journal by Weixing Zhe et al who suggests, “In 2005, males

under the age of 20 exceeded females by more than 32 million in China, and more

than 1.1 million excess births of boys occurred.”103 Mosher criticises One Child

Policy for its contribution to the increase in on-demand-abortion and links the

imbalance of sex to a series of social situations, including permanent bachelorhood

and increase in prostitutions and homosexuality. The other typical voice takes a more

positive perspective and argues that the Only Child Policy has improved the status of

urban Chinese women, who were born as the only child, in their competition against

men. While accepting that the policy does generate negative consequences, Ming

Tsui and Lynne Rich in their 2002 paper suggest that, although not being an intended
103
Population Research Institute, When Gender Gaps: China´s One-Child Policy and Baby Girls,
<http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=33382>[accessed 26 August 2011].

77
result, the policy has led to an improved educational opportunity for girls in urban

China.

A headline article published by Associated Press described the One Child Policy

as “a surprising boon for China girls”. Alexs Olesen, author of the article, reports that

the implement of One Child Policy has led to an increase in the ratio of women in

education. Vanessa Fong, a Harvard University professor and expert on China’s One

Child Policy, gives the following remarks in her interview with Olesen, “In the past,

girls were raised to be good wives and mothers. They were going to marry out

anyway, so it wasn’t a big deal if they didn’t want to study. (Today’s urban Chinese

parents) perceive their daughters as the family’s sole hope for the future. They (the

girls) have basically gotten everything that used to only go to the boys.”104 Studies on

education for Chinese only children suggest that, depending on their sex, the

expectations of their parents are different. A paper by Fengshu Liu presented the

following conversation between two parents:

Mother: I would like her to be like a boy – open-minded, bold, and tough.

Less typical of a traditional girl.

Father: I agree. The future society will be more and more competitive. It

will be harder for girls because the society will still be in favour of males

to some extent. So we want her to possess some of a man’s character. She

can compete better then.105

Liu further reveals that, some contemporary Chinese parents have a new idea for

bringing up their daughters – to help their daughters to develop some so-called manly

104
Olesen, Alexa, “One-child policy a surprising boon for China girls”, Associated Press, 14 August
2011, <http://news.yahoo.com/one-child-policy-surprising-boon-china-girls-152100729.html>
[accessed 28 August 2011].
105
Liu, Fengshu, “Boys as Only-Children and Girls as Only-Children--Parental Gendered
Expectations of the Only-Child in the Nuclear Chinese Family in Present-Day China”, Gender and
Education, Vol.18, No.5, September 2006, 491-505(p.500).

78
characteristics, such as strong will, toughness, boldness, ambitiousness,

competitiveness and independence, and at the same time, preserve certain qualities

that are considered desirable to female, such as gentleness, considerateness and

beauty.

Girls and gender issues are hot topics in Chinese mass media as well. According

to a study by Bu Wei, “girl child” was raised as a matter of public concern by the

Chinese mass media in the mid-1980s when reports were mainly concentrated on

equal opportunities for education. For the OCG girls, the existence of gender bias

would almost certainly have an impact on them, on their personality, their perception

to self and others. A report by Beijing Youth Daily observes that the favouritism to

boy that an only girl senses from her parents and grandparents may make her ego

vacillate between shame (to be a girl) and success-seeking (for equality with

males).106 Even if such issue does not apply to an individual OCG girl, the fact that

the social group to which she belongs simply is at the centre of such discussions and

debates of the society would play its part. She would question if she is one of the

girls who were not wanted by their parents in the first place.

The feeling of shame and desire for success fostered their admiration to

powerful women figures of both fictional and real-life. Film Sissi (1955) was

imported to China and was shown on Chinese television multiple times in the 1980s.

The film was very popular among the OCG girls and the female protagonist, Princess

Sissi, is considered as their childhood idol. In her recollection to the film, an OCG

girl writes, “What I like the most about Sissi is her tomboy personality.”107 In fact,

the OCG female audiences are found to respond rather favourably to tomboy

characters in film and television, probably the most representative being their
106
Guan, Y., “The merits and demerits of only kids”, Beijing Youth Daily, 4 June 1997, p.008.
107
Mtime, Princess Sissi 1, <http://i.mtime.com/cliwang/blog/340423/> [accessed 5 September 2011].

79
reception to Disney’s princess cartoon series. As pointed out by William Indick in

his Movies and the Mind, most of these princesses, such as Belle in Beauty and the

Beast (1991), Ariel in The Little Mermaid (1989), Pocahontas in Pocahontas (1995),

and Mulan in Mulan (1998), are much more assertive and proactive than traditional

princess characters and bear tomboy personalities. Similar to the reference to the

general OCG using “little emperor”, the OCG girls are also referred to as the “little

princess”. Perhaps their reception to these cartoons is also linked to their “princess

complex”, but the most important reason behind their favourable reaction is their

admiration and resonation to the tomboy personalities of these characters. For the

OCG female audiences, these characters represent a rule-breaking attitude.

Super Girl is a Chinese television singing contest show run by Hunan Television.

It is very much alike X Factors and American Idols but is only for girls. The final

episode of its 2005 season got 400 million viewers, almost one-third of China’s

population. That night, an OCG girl named Li Yuchun was voted by 3,528,308

viewers to become the winner. Li’s popularity among Chinese girls is widely

attributed to her notably boyish appearance, masculine stage presence and bold

personality, which charmed her millions of girl fans across China. She does not wear

makeup and has a haircut (and body) of David Bowie. She sings aggressively: loud

songs and songs written for men. Li herself has admitted that she identifies as a

tomboy.108 Her wining and overwhelming popularity draws the attention of the world.

Time (Asia) put her on the font cover of its October 2005 special issue and

nominated her as one of the 25 Asia’s heroes of 2005.109

108
Lo, Malinda, “China’s Super girl L Yuchun”, AfterEllen,
<http://www.afterellen.com/archive/ellen/People/2006/2/supergirl.html> [accessed 05 May 2009].
109
Jakes, Susan, “Li Yuchun”, Time,
<http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2054304,00.html> [accessed 05 May 2009].

80
 Cai Lin, a professor of sociology and gender studies at Tongji University, said

when interview by The Guardian, “The most popular girls these days are not tender

or ladylike. As the society opens up, women can be brave, more independent and

outgoing like boys.”110 In fact, for the OCG girls, tomboy is not simply a “can be”

situation resulted from the opening up of the society. As discussed above, it is more

of a state of the mind struggling from deep inside the OCG girls themselves agitated

by the social and family pressure they have to face. It is also an interesting fact to

notice that Li’s popularity is mostly among the girls. Male viewers are often found to

poke fun at her. Among Chinese male youths, Li Yuchun is often referred to as

“Brother Chun”, a mocking nickname referring to her sexual ambiguity. A lot of

materials such as composite images and video clips that are deliberately generated to

make fun of her can be found on the Internet. The different responses to Li Yuchun

between male and female indicate that tomboy, as an untraditional female figure, still

generates controversy in the society. The OCG girls admire such powerful, boyish

figures; however, whether or not they should become the same, is not an easy

decision for them to make.

The OCG girls are at a special position in the OCG as well as in the society.

They have characteristic reception to certain entertainment and media messages. In a

later chapter, Disney’s animated feature Mulan (1998) will be studied. It is a case

study in which the reception of the OCG, OCG females in particular, to female

protagonists in entertainment is examined.

110
Joffe-Walt, Benjamin, “Mad about the girl: a pop idol for China”, The Guardian,
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2005/oct/07/chinathemedia.broadcasting> [accessed 05 May
2009].

81
Struggling in the Mass Production of Education

“Like other Asians, who traditionally revere scholars, they value learning.

They also see education as both the path to success and consistent with

their sense of filial piety, the way to bring esteem to their family.”111

– Stanley Karnow

“We must promote science, promote technology, and at the same time,

promote education. We must set up key primary schools, key middle

schools and key universities and make sure that our best talent concentrate

at these key schools through strict examinations.”112

– Deng Xiaoping

“Xue er you ze shi” is a Confucian slogan for education. It means he who excels

in study can follow an official career. Education is highly valued in Chinese tradition.

It is deemed as the path to glory. Starting from the Sui Dynasty (581-618 AD) and

lasted through the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD), an Imperial Examination System

(ke ju) was adopted by the imperial administration to examine and select candidate

for bureaucrats and was opened to all male adults of the nation. The idea of securing

a successful future through education was still widely accepted in the Chinese

society nowadays, although different ideas have started to challenge this traditional

belief.

The period between year 1981 and 1990 is the third baby boom in modern

Chinese history with the birth rate peaked at 23.3 ‰ in 1987. During the baby boom,

Chinese population increased by a total of 143 million. The number of children that

are at the age to start primary school (7 years old) increased from 95.7 million in

111
Karnow, Stanley, Smithsonian magazine.
112
Yang, Dongping, “Woguo jiaoyu gaige yu fazhan sanshi nian (30 Years Education Reform in
China)”, <http://theory.people.com.cn/GB/49157/49166/8142858.html > [accessed 6 June 2010]

82
1987 to 119.5 million in 1994 by nearly 25 per cent.113 The increase in birth imposed

a serious test on the nation’s education system. To accommodate the existing and

incoming students, schools increase the number of classes and the student quota per

class. As recollect by a primary school teacher, at the worst time, her class used to

have 118 pupils. In a few years’ time, most of these pupils would enter a higher

school, and ultimately, aim to enter higher education. In 1999, the year in which the

first part of the OCG started university or college, the Chinese government decided

to introduce significant increase to the capacity of higher education institutions. As a

result, in the three years from 1998 to 2001, the number of registered students in

higher education almost doubled from 6.43 to 12.14 million.114 Chinese education

from bottom to top had become a de facto educational mass production.

Chinese education is also criticised for being exam-oriented.115 It is a combined

result of people’s misconception about education and a failed matriculation system.

As believed by most of OCG’s parents, if their children had to go to a good

university to be able to have a successful career later. Under the current matriculation

system, it all boils down to the National Matriculation Test held every year. The

National Matriculation Test was suspended during the Cultural Revolution and was

resumed in 1977.116 A student has to achieve higher score in this test to be admitted

to a better university. Although there are other routes through which a student can be

admitted such as recommendation and outstanding performance in art or sports, for

113
Statistical data from China Education Yearbook 1988 &1995.
114
China Education and Research Network, Zhongguo gaoxiao kuozhao sannian dapandian (Three
years’ expanding of Chinese university), <http://www.edu.cn/20021106/3071663.shtml> [accessed 9
Nov 2010].
115
China Education and Research Network, Qiantan yingshi jiaoyu yu suzhi jiaoyu (Exam oriented
education and quality education), <http://www.edu.cn/20010823/207816.shtml> [accessed 9 Nov
2010].
116
Yang, Dongping, “Woguo jiaoyu gaige yu fazhan sanshi nian (30 Years Education Reform in
China)”, <http://theory.people.com.cn/GB/49157/49166/8142858.html > [accessed 6 June 2010]

83
the vast majority, succeeding the National Matriculation Test is their only hope.

Driven by this objective, school education is focused on training the students’ ability

to take examinations. In some extreme cases, students are taught by their teachers

about how to guess the answer based on the formation of the question without having

to know the real reasons why it is the right answer.

The OCG has been struggling in the mass production of education and the

underlying exam-oriented principle. Starting from primary school, they had been

given an overwhelming amount to homework to do to “prepare for the future”. Under

exam-oriented education, curriculum design of schools completely disregards

individuality. With the education reform imposed by the Chinese government,

private schools came into being. They are supposed to bring personalised education

more tailored to individual needs. But in reality, they are “schools for aristocrats”

which are too expensive to ordinary OCG. As a result, most OCG still stuck in the

mainstream education system. For many of them, time is being spent on things they

are not interested in. There is no room for preference, personality and interest of

individuals. Everyone is taught the same then go to the same exam. The system is

actually against the nature of the OCG. Raised as the only child of the family, they

are fostered with a strong sense of individualism and the desire to be unique.

“I love to study. I think it is very important, because if you don’t study you

fall behind. My problem was the school. It’s just not for me.”117

Han Han, a poster child of the OCG who dropped out of school when he was 17

gave the above remarks during a television interview. Han is now a Chinese

professional rally driver, best-selling author, singer and probably the most popular

117
Zhou Libo (Shanghai famous TV comedian)’s interview of Han Han (well-known OCG writer).

84
blogger in the world.118 Not every OCG has the courage and determination to pursue

their individual desire in education. Very importantly, they do not have the support,

either from the society or from their family, to support them on this. Going to school

becomes their duty to their parents and a heavy burden to carry.

There is an interesting factor in OCG’s experience of the mass production of

education, that is, the learning of the English language. From the foundation of the

PRC to the mid-1960s, the teaching of Russian dominated China’s foreign language

education because of the nation’s intimacy with the former Soviet Union. From the

late 1960s, English gradually replaced Russian as the primary foreign language

taught in school education. Piloted in 1978 and nationally extended in 1983, English

joined Mathematics and Chinese to become one of the mandatory subjects for both

science and arts students taking the National Matriculation Test. Accordingly,

English is set as a compulsory subject for almost all pre-university schools at all

levels. At university level, English is still a compulsory course to take except for

student of other foreign language majors. During the three decades from 1978 to

2008, English language education in China experienced rapid development as a

result of the increasing demand for English speaking personals to assist international

business and trade in an open-door environment. Entering the 21st century, China has

become the world’s biggest market for English language education.

As a result of the mass education, being English-learner becomes a shared

characteristic among the OCG. The growing popularity of English language

education has caused concerns. As pointed out by Yongwei Bian, “English, however,

is not a subject like mathematics or physics. English also carries culture(s).” Bian

further claims, “Learning English in China, which opens for the learner greater
118
Tatlo, Didi, In Search of a Modern Humanism in China, The New York Times,
<http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/14/world/asia/14iht-letter.html> [accessed 9 Nov 2010].

85
access to various media, and cultural information and forms via digital and electronic

devices, brings with it more intimate contact with cultural values and life views that

can differ very strongly, or be completely new, from the original cognitive, affective

and social implications conveyed in Chinese with which the students were born and

socialized.” According to Bian’s research, with the learning of English, Chinese

college students’ identification with native language and culture decreases.119

Whether or not the learning of English results in an increase in the OCG’s intimacy

with another culture, it does increase their intimacy with film and television

entertainment that is in English. There is a tendency to watch film or television

programme in its original English language rather than the translated and dubbed

version among the OCG. It is partially because they want to learn English – a perfect

excuse for taking some of the precious study time to enjoy a film or two – and

partially because the OCG, as the audiences, want to take the initiative to decode the

media texts. Translation is part of the decoding process, during which meanings may

accidentally or inevitably lose its original intention, or be deliberately filtered or

altered. The fact that the OCG is able to understand English removes the “translator”,

which means that the media texts received by them are “first-hand”. It is of

significant importance for the study because it suggests that the meanings of the texts

can be generated in the OCG’s encounter with the original texts rather than the

processed ones by a third party.

Subjects, figures and messages from film and television entertainment that are

relevant to education are found to generate strong response from the OCG. In many

cases, such resonation is often found to be in connection with their discontent in real

119
Bian, Yongwei, “The More I learned, the Less I Found My Self”, in China and English:
Globalisation and the Dilemmas of Identity, ed. by Joseph Lo Bianco et al. (Bristol: Multilingual
Matters, 2009), pp.155-165.

86
life education. Film 3 Idiots (2009) aroused strong responses from the OCG. Many of

the responses are linked with the film’s accusation to the Indian education system

which is considered by the OCG to be very similar to that of China. OCG audiences

describe their feeling about the film as “familiar” and “it’s like looking into a mirror”.

Particularly, the scene in which student Joy Lobo writes “I QUIT” on the wall then

hangs him resonated strongly with the OCG. Regarding this particular scene, Cicis

(Internet ID) writes, “Why don’t we fight the education system? It’s because we

don’t know how! We are taught to obey, not to stand up against. How sad it is!

School shouldn’t be a mass production factory and we shouldn’t have been mass

produced to the same standard. A person is a person because of personality!”120

These remarks by Cicis on one hand expressed OCG’s powerless in challenging the

existing education system, on the other hand, also reveal their desire for a change.

The OCG audiences also received inspiration from the film. The film’s protagonist,

Rancho, is a fighter who stands up and wins his combat against the way of education

that he does not believe in. While acknowledging that the ending of the film (wining

the combat against education) is idealised, the audiences still feel encouraged and see

hope from it. It is described as a “cardiac stimulant” for the OCG audiences.121

Like the disappointments they experienced in their family life, the OCG’s

discontent for education is also an important factor to be considered in the meaning

making of media texts. For audiences who do not have a similar experience in

education as that displayed in the film, 3 Idiots is probably just a very funny film, or

at its best arouses sympathy to Indian students. The OCG audiences get much more

meanings from the film than that. Sympathy, reflection, inspiration – it is all because

120
Anon., “Sange shagua zouhong wangluo, pipan tianyashi jiaoyu (Three Idiots go popular, criticises
‘force-fed education’)” <http://news.mtime.com/2010/08/30/1439666.html> [accessed 30 September
2011].
121
Ibid.

87
of a comparable life experience. Besides resonating to the negative educational

elements, the OCG also respond to the positive. A case study for Harry Potter film

series will be presented in Chapter 5. It is a case in which both the positive and the

negative are seem by the OCG.

Nostalgia: a Tribute to Childhood

On 23 February 2009, Xiaofan Bai published a post on Tianya Club (www.tianya.cn),

one of the most popular Internet forums in China. The initial post was simple, in

which she wrote about her memory about some films she had enjoyed in her

childhood. To her great surprise, the post aroused strong reaction from the Internet

community. Starting from films to almost everything that is related to their childhood,

tens of thousands of people replied to this post to share their childhood memories. A

great abundance of quotations and pictures were added to the post, many of which

were re-posted or quoted by other websites. As of September 2011, the post had been

viewed nearly 2 million times with over 27 thousand replies.122 Based on the post, in

November 2010, Bai published her book Back to the Days which soon became a

best-seller on Amazon.cn.

This is just one of the many Internet occurrences of the OCG’s generational

nostalgia. Back in as early as year 2006, a post titled “Han Meimei is married but the

bridegroom is not Li Lei” brought about quite a stir to the Chinese Internet

community. Han Meimei and Li Lei are two of the fictional student characters in the

English language textbooks the OCG had used in their middle-school time. The

textbooks were designed to teach English through the stories about the family and

122
Tianya, Balinghou chengzhang jiniance (Post-80s memorial),
<http://www.tianya.cn/publicforum/content/funinfo/1/1389620.shtml> [accessed 30 September 2011].

88
school life of these characters. Li Lei and Han Meimei are carried forward to a new

edition of the textbooks, and they have both grown up as the OCG does. What

disappointed the author of the post is in the new story lines Han Meimei became

married but not to Li Lei. Soon the disappointment was proved to not only happen to

him. The post received heated discussion among the OCG. It turned out that most of

the OCG that had used the textbooks had believed that Li Lei and Han Meimei would

become a couple. Many assumptions and explanations to the complex underlying

relationships among all the characters in the textbooks flooded the Internet.

Business-sensitive people even started to sell Li Lei & Han Meimei theme products

to play up to the occasion. In 2009, a song about Li Lei & Han Meimei was written

and spread across the Internet. A stage play featuring these two characters was put up

on show in Beijing in 2010.

Also in 2006, another topic related to the childhood memory of the OCG became

very popular on the Internet. The topic was about the making and playing of paper

airplanes and was initialised by a post on Baidu Zhidao (Wikipedia analogue in

China) asking, “Why do you have to blow a warm breath of air to the head of the

paper airplane before you fly it?” Many replied to the post saying they all did the

same. Some suggest that it was their childish but beautiful wish for the plane to fly a

bit longer. The reason why they did does not matter. What matters is that they all did

it. The post developed into a nostalgic exchange among the OCG about their life

experiences, the “silly” things they did in their childhood. One said, “I missed the

days when I can happily play a paper plane for hours”, many agreed.123

Popular Chinese internet catchphrase, “Your mum is calling you back home for

dinner”, was also originated from the collective nostalgia of the OCG. The saying
123
Baidu Zhidao, Weishenme diewan zhifeiji yao duizhe feiji hakouqi? (Why to blow a warm breath of
air to a paper plane?) <http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/2957820> [30 September 2011].

89
precisely described a very frequent childhood life scene of the OCG. When they got

back from school, they were often allowed very limited time to play outside while

their parents were cooking for dinner. Once it was ready, the parents would call them

back home to have dinner, at which time, they had to leave what they were playing

and return their confined apartment home, often unwillingly. The first instance of

this catchphrase was from an online gaming forum when someone posted an article

titled “Jia Junpen, your mum is calling you back home for dinner!” on 16 July 2009.

It post only contained to characters “RT”, a Chinese abbreviation to “as the title

suggests”. Within 9 hours, the post received more than 400 thousand click. More

than 17 thousand joined the discussion. It is referred to by the media as “Jia Junpen

Incident”, “Jia Junpen Phenomenon” and is believed to be a result of a collective

nostalgia of the Chinese Internet community. The catchphrase is now widely used on

the Internet as well as in real life conversations in China as another way of saying

“leave it”, to express disapproval, or that someone is not welcomed.

In recently year, from time to time, someone’s post relating to the childhood

memory of the OCG would become popular. They are no longer standalone instances

of a similar topic but a widespread social and cultural phenomenon, which has drawn

attentions from both the media and the academia. On 18 July 2008, China Youth

published a report of their survey on the nostalgic phenomenon.124 About 2500

individuals took the survey, among which 89.4 per cent are from the OCG.

According to the report, 43.7 per cent of the participants have nostalgia “sometimes”,

37.5 per cent “often” and 1.5 per cent “seldom or never”. The oldest OCG have just

entered their 30s hence many question about why young adults like the OCG would

124
Tian Guolei, “80 hou qingnian jinru jiasu huaijiu shidai (Chinese post-80s accelerating nostalgia)”,
China Youth, <http://zqb.cyol.com/content/2008-07/18/content_2269746.htm> [accessed 30
September 2011].

90
have such strong nostalgic feeling which normally happens to old people. “There are

two kinds of people who can get nostalgic. One is the real old people. The other is

like us – who have just grown up but deep down inside our hearts do not want to be a

grownup. We wish to be a child again. We want to, at least sometimes, treat

ourselves as a child”, responded Bai, the author of Back to the Days.125 Some

sociologists believe that, such strong nostalgia is originated from the stark contrast

between their childhood and adulthood life as a result of China’s fast pace in

modernisation and urbanisation. Hai Yu, a Fudan University professor in sociology

said, “Comparing to the stressful everyday life they are living nowadays, their

childhood life starts to seem relatively wonderful.” He perceives the OCG’s nostalgia

as their comparison between “now” and “then”, a reflection of their stress and

frustration. He also attributed OCG’s nostalgia at a young age to the rapid social

development of China. He said, “During their 30 years of life, the social status of

China has gone through one era to another. They have enough life experiences to

recollect.” He further addressed that the fact most of these nostalgic activities happen

on the Internet demonstrates that the OCG individuals are very lonely in their real

life. Nostalgia acts as a kind of “bond” among the lonely individuals and brings them

together to form a virtual peer group on the Internet.

The OCG’s nostalgia is also reflected in their reception to entertainment

products like films. In 2007, DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures in cooperation

with Hasbro, the owner of the franchise, brought Transformers to the big screen. The

original animated television series was one of the most popular television

programmes among the OCG in the 1980s and was mentioned in a lot of OCG’s

125
Wang, Jingjing, “Kaonaxie jietou anhao 80 hou jiti huaijiu (Their secret language: post-80s go
nostalgic together)”, <http://zqb.cyol.com/content/2010-11/30/content_3453281.htm> [accessed 30
September 2011].

91
nostalgic activities described above. The OCG’s response to the film was very

emotional. An audience named Tian Wu said to the reporter, “When Optimus Prime

entered the scene in his iconic red and blue HGV form, then transformed into a giant

robot and announced ‘I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots’, I couldn’t help

but burst into tears.”126 It was not meant to be such an emotional scene but it was so

for the OCG audiences. In 2010, another success of Hollywood film demonstrated

the power of the OCG’s nostalgia. The Expendables, starred by Sylvester Stallone

and several other old-time action film icons, became a huge hit in the Chinese

cinema. For the OCG, neither the plot nor the filming technology really matters.

What matter are the actors. They are the reason for which many OCG audiences went

to see the film. “Thank you very much, Stallon, for bring us this film. We are sitting

in the modern cinema, letting the film take us back to the 1980s, to the dark, dirty

and turbid video rooms where we saw the world.”, wrote an audience member in his

blog.127

Memory matters as the representations of the past which influence the present.128

Behind the wave and wave of nostalgia of the OCG is what can be described as the

collective memory. Maurice Halbwachs in his pivotal work on this matter, Collective

Memory, emphasise that in the construction of memory, even personal memory,

group effect plays its role. In the view of Halbwachs, if the desire of the group trying

to preserve the memory is strong enough, it could even transfigure how individual

memory is shaped. For the OCG, whether the group’s nostalgia strength has

transfigured their personal memory is yet to be answered; however, evidence has

126
Tian Guolei, “80 hou qingnian jinru jiasu huaijiu shidai (Chinese post-80s accelerating nostalgia)”,
China Youth, <http://zqb.cyol.com/content/2008-07/18/content_2269746.htm> [accessed 30
September 2011].
127
Tianya, Gansidui, yishou zhuiyi 80 niandai de wange (The Expendables, a memory for the 1980s),
<http://www.tianya.cn/publicforum/content/filmtv/1/303066.shtml> [accessed 30 September 2011].
128
Staiger, Janet, Media Reception Studies (New York: New York University Press, 2005), p.187.

92
shown that their collective memory and nostalgia do serve as a sentimental

consolation from the past and influence their present, such as their reception to

certain films.

The OCG emerged as a social creation, during which they received distinctive

imprint from the events and situations of their childhood. The OCG are not “empty

vessels” to be educated by whatever messages that flow into them. Neither are they

powerless to decide the meanings of media texts that are sent to them. Instead,

having developed their own attributes from the social context and emerged as a

“generation” of the world, they place media as their mediated access to that world. In

the process of meaning making, the OCG response to the world based on their

contextual and personal sophistication developed.

In this chapter, schemata that can be used to understand the reception of the

OCG to film and television entertainment are built through the study of objective

matters, such as the social and political environment and the availability of

entertainment products, and subjective matters, such as life experience and memory.

Because the way they are formed, like collective memories, these schemata are

public, which means individual meaning making may or may not fit into these

schemata. The evidence of audience relationships with media texts or images is

almost certainly personal. But such personal evidence is also almost certainly shared

among individuals due to the fact that we are not completely isolated but somewhat

socialised. It is the foundation of the social and collective conceptualisation as well

as the formation of the schemata. The value of the schemata is to form a baseline

against which reception can be evaluated and hence really understood.

93
Chapter 3 Disney, The Lion King and

China’s “Little Emperors”

Disney is undoubtedly an icon of American family entertainment. To many Chinese,

the name Disney is almost synonymous with the word cartoon. It was among the first

few foreign companies to make contact with Chinese authorities after the

establishment of the Open Door Policy to seek opportunities to sell their products in

China. Disney’s Mickey and Donald was the most popular and influential cartoon TV

series in China in the 1980s and was where the connection between Disney and the

OCG started.129 Hence, The Lion King (1994), a Disney animated feature, was given

a high anticipation when it came to China. The reaction it got from the Chinese

audiences was unprecedented. This chapter is a case study of Disney and The Lion

King – its milestone hit in China. Through the examination of Disney’s journey of

development, this chapter first seeks to understand people’s perception of Disney in

China. It then goes to the study of The Lion King in relation to the OCG, which is

more reception-oriented. The two parts of this case study supplement each other.

Disney’s Image in China

Before the Open Door Policy, Chinese publications seldom talked about

entertainment products from Western capitalist countries. The only article I found

about Disney was published in the Chinese magazine Film Art in its second issue of

1956. It was a brief introduction to Walt Disney translated from the Soviet
129
Cartoon TV series Mickey and Donald had been broadcast by CCTV since 1985.

94
Encyclopaedia. It described Disney’s animations as ‘vulgar’130, a judgment which

reflected political conflicts rather than aesthetic evaluations.131

Benefiting from the Open-Door Policy, the Disney Company started to work its

way into China in the early 1980s when articles spoke of Disney with an attitude

which was completely different from that of 1956. Disney and its products were

universally greeted by newspapers and magazines with warm applause, which can be

seen from the following examples. Dushu (Reading), a highly-rated Chinese

magazine focused on discussions of ideological and cultural issues, in its second

issue of 1980, published an article which explained to Chinese people why Mickey

Mouse was so ‘lovable’ by quoting an article titled ‘Mickey Mouse meets Konrad

Lorenz’ published in the American magazine Natural History in 1979.132 Dushu’s

article commended Walt Disney as an artist who respect science and Disney’s works

as beneficial and enjoyable for both young and old.133 The Chinese popular magazine

Movie Review provided a more detailed introduction to Disney in 1982. It described

Disney’s animations as unsophisticated beauty and art with wisdom.134 In 1984,

Parenting Science, the first Chinese magazine on child rearing with a very large

national circulation, explicitly recommended Disney’s cartoon to young parents with

the slogan ‘Do you want your children to see a broader world? Let them meet

Mickey, Donald and Goofy!’135

In contrast to the definitely negative judgement before the Open-Door Policy

and the uniformly positive remarks in the early 1980s, Chinese perceptions of Disney

130
All the Chinese quotations in this chapter are translated by myself.
131
Anon., ‘Walt Disney’, Film Art, 2 (1956), 111-112 (p.112).
132
Gould, S.J., ‘Mickey Mouse meets Konrad Lorenz’, Natural History, May (1979), 30-36.
133
Li, X.Y., ‘Cong kexuejia shangshi milaoshu shuoqi’ (Talking about why the scientists like Mickey),
Dushu (Reading), 02 (1980), 127-130 (p.129).
134
Zhang, L., ‘Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney’, Movie Review, 12 (1982), 32-33 (p.32).
135
Lian, J., ‘Zhi nianqing fumu’ (To Young Parents), Parenting Science, 10 (1984), 10 (p.10).

95
started to show diversity in the late 1980s. Discussions of Disney became more and

more heated in publications. While acknowledging Disney’s achievement in

animation art, people also saw its advanced business operation in the international

market. Disney’s growing popularity and influence also brought about certain

concern. Some commentators started to associate Disney with American cultural

hegemony and suggested that China should have its own ‘Disney’ and ‘Mickey

Mouse’.136 Furthermore, with excitement for novelty being replaced by the boredom

of routine, some critics even felt watching Mickey Mouse was ‘a waste of time’.137

In the words of cultural commentators, Disney began to appear along the same lines

as McDonald’s and Coca Cola as representatives of America’s fast-food culture with

its characteristics being ‘good-looking’ but ‘lacking nourishment’.138 Nevertheless,

voices could still be heard that supported Disney and recommended it to Chinese

consumers. Parenting Science introduced Disneyland to young parents and their

children by telling a story about two kids’ joyful visit to Disneyland in Los

Angeles.139 On the other hand, a report on Disney suing some Chinese publishers for

copyright infringement reminded people that no matter how innocent the contents

that Disney provided, it was still a business.140 After the opening of Hong Kong

Disneyland in 2005, a survey conducted by SINA (a leading online media company

based in China) and China Newsweek (a renowned newsweekly published by China

News Service) showed that 37.71 percent of people who had been to Disneyland

136
Yu, B.M., ‘Zhongguo donghua mingxing zai nail?’ (Where are the Chinese Cartoon Stars?), Movie
Review, 06 (1992), 14 (p.14).
137
J. Z.Z., ‘Women xuyao zhongguo de Mickey’ (We need our own Mickey), Dangdai dianshi
(Contemporary Television), 01 (1988), 19-20 (p.19).
138
Jin, L.P., ‘Disney de zhongguo zhi dao’ (Disney’s strategy in China), China Newsweek, 38 (2005),
62-64 (p.64).
139
Wu, J. P., ‘Milaoshu tanglaoya de leyuan’ (The Wonderland of Mickey and Donald), Parenting
Science, 07 (1991), 43.
140
B, J., ‘Milaoshu jingcheng gaozhuang ji’ (Mickey Suing in Beijing), Business World, 03 (1996),
21-24 (p.24).

96
indicated that what impressed them the most was the strong commercial atmosphere

there while 22.36 percent found themselves caught up in the world of fantasy it

created.141

A special report consisting of four articles talking about Disney in China was

published in China Newsweek’s 38th issue of 2005. The first article entitled ‘Disney,

whose dream?’ includes the following comment:

“During the twenty-year period from the first episode of Mickey and

Donald being broadcast by CCTV in 1985 to the opening of Hong Kong

Disneyland this year, Disney as a cartoon brand has come to pervade

many aspects of our people’s life and their consumption. On the quiet, it is

even changing the perception of life of more than one generation.”142

The author, Yu Changjiang, a professor of sociology of Peking University, was

invited to write this opening article which raised questions about Disney’s impact in

China. In answering his questions, one of the subsequent articles pointed out that in

terms of understanding children and how their minds work, Chinese children’s

entertainment was no match for Disney. The article described Disney as the company

that led a ‘cultural fashion’ for people born in the 1980s and led to the emergence of

the Chinese ‘kidult’.143 ‘Kidult’ refers to a grownup who doesn't want to grow up (or

at least act like an adult) and instead prefers so-called ‘children's’ stuff for

entertainment.144 The term was first used by Jim Ward-Nichols on the campus of

141
Jin, L.P., p.64.
142
Yu, C.J., ‘Disney, Shei zhi meng?’ (Disney, whose dream), China Newsweek, 38 (2005), 60-61
(p.60).
143
Dai, J.T., ‘Disney de zhongguo zhilü’ (Disney’s journey in China), China Newsweek, 38 (2005),
61-62 (p.62).
144
Urban Dictionary, Kidult,
<http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?defid=1260622&term=kidult> [accessed 30 Sep. 2008]

97
Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey in the late 1980.145 Twenty-

five years later, it was borrowed by Chinese critics to describe a Chinese cultural

phenomenon influenced by Disney.

Those who were born in the 1980s and actually involved in the ‘cultural fashion’

have their own opinions about Disney. Unlike those of the reviewers and the critics,

comments of fans are generally available from online forums, among which

DisneyBox.com (a Chinese Internet communication centre for Disney fans), Mtime

(a popular Chinese online community of movie fans), Baidu TieBa (a popular

Chinese online forum provided by the search engine Baidu) and Douban (a leading

Chinese online community platform) are the most active ones. Comments below are

from these forums and are considered to be representative. ‘Chuangyijietie’ (internet

alias) claimed that Disney had a strong emotional appeal. As a girl born in the 1980s,

she had a collection of Disney’s products in her handbag, including the handbag

itself, and liked to wear clothes with Disney’s cartoon characters on them. For her,

Disney made her ‘princess dream’ come true.146 A mother who was born in the 1980s

wrote in her post that Disney was a beautiful part of her childhood memory and she

would like her child to have it too.147 ‘Disney007’ looked at Disney from an aesthetic

rather than an emotional perspective. What made him crazy about Disney was the

power it created with two-dimensional animations which he believed were the true

classics. To him, reading Disney magazines and watching videos amounted to an

145
NationalMaster Encyclopedia, Kidult, <http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Kidult>
[accessed 30 Sep. 2008]
146
Chuangyijietie (internet alias), post in Disney Bar, Baidu TieBa, 11 Jun. 2008,
<http://tieba.baidu.com/f?kz=405683235> [accessed 10 Aug. 2008].
147
Kailsonic (internet alias), post in Toy Story Bar, Baidu TieBa, 13 May 2008,
<http://tieba.baidu.com/f?kz=377219072>; also posted on BBS.QQBaoBao.Com (a Chinese online
childcare forum), <http://bbs.qqbaobao.com/archiver/tid-85405.html> [accessed 26 Jul. 2008].

98
appreciation of art.148 What appealed to ‘Jiaowoxiaoyang’ the most was Disney’s

music. Also born in the 1980s, he had an impressive collection of twenty-one of

Disney’s original soundtrack tapes. Some of them were more than twelve years old

and he still listened to them from time to time.149 ‘Annibaobei’ described herself as

the ultimate Disney fan. She wrote a post in which she reviewed the development of

Disney’s animation films since the 1920s from her particular perspective. The post

provoked lively discussions about Disney on Mtime. At the end of her post, she

wrote that ‘whatever Disney will be in the future, it has my guaranteed support.

Thank you, Disney, my source of happiness.’150

Generally, Chinese people’s attitude towards Disney experienced three

distinctive stages, from the complete rejection before the open-door policy to the

universal acceptance in the early 1980s, then to the wider spectrum of opinions since

the late 1980s including the negative remarks generally from the critics and the

positive comments mostly from the OCG fans. These shifts can be explained by

going through the history of Disney’s operations in China, which is presented in the

following section.

Disney’s Journey in China

Disney’s first entry into China can be dated back to the 1930s when its animated

feature Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was screened in Beijing, Shanghai and

148
Disney007 (internet alias), ‘Yige balinghou xinzhong de disney’ (Disney in the Heart of a Post-
80s), DisneyBox.com, 8 November 2007, <http://www.disneybox.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?p=19574>
[accessed 20 Jul. 2008].
149
Jiaowoxiaoyang (internet alias), post in Disney Group, Douban, 4 May 2008,
<http://www.douban.com/group/topic/3106112/>, [accessed 10 Aug. 2008].
150
Annibabei (internet alias), post in Disney World, Mtime, 7 Jun. 2008,
<http://www.mtime.com/group/disney/discussion/230940/> [accessed 12 Aug. 2008].

99
some other major cities.151 At that time, the release of Hollywood films in China was

almost simultaneous with that in the US. But when the Chinese Communist Party

established its political power in 1949, Disney’s products were banned for political

reasons. In the era when class struggle was taken as the central task, anything from

capitalist countries was simply repelled by the system. Therefore, for almost three

decades, Disney was completely absent from Chinese people’s entertainment.

In 1978, China established the Open-Door Policy which made it possible for

Disney to re-enter the Chinese market. In the early 1980s, as the world’s most

populated nation, China had about 340 million children under the age of 15.152 There

was no doubt about China’s great appeal for Disney’s international ambitions. When

Michael Eisner (Disney’s CEO from 1984 to 2005) was asked what his biggest

dream was, his answer was to enter the Chinese market.153 As one of Hollywood’s

major film producers, Disney began to work its way back into China right after the

Open-Door Policy. Instead of demanding its products to be allowed in the Chinese

market, Disney started to bring ‘China’ into the US. At the beginning of the 1980s,

the company developed a China Pavilion at EPCOT in Orlando. The show included

Wonders of China, a film produced in cooperation with the Chinese government,

which was shown on a 360-degree screen.154 The filming was a massive undertaking

but was also rewarding. The pavilion not only brought ‘China’ to central Florida but

also put Disney’s influence back to China as their connections with well-connected

officials in Beijing were established through the co-operation.

151
Disney Wikipedia of DisneyBox.com, The Walt Disney Company in China,
<http://www.disneybox.com/wiki/%E8%BF%AA%E5%A3%AB%E5%B0%BC%E4%B8%AD%E5
%9B%BD> [accessed 20 Jul. 2008]
152
National Bureau of Statistics of China, China Statistics Yearbook 1984 (Beijing: China Statistics
Press, 1984), p.97.
153
Zhao, L.M., ‘Disney shizuo zhongguo meng’ (The Start of Disney’s Chinese Dream), Nanfeng
Chuang (The Window of South Wind), 09 (2005), 66-68 (p.66).
154
Schweizer, P. and Schweizer, R., Disney: The Mouse Betrayed (Washington: Regnery Publishing,
1998), pp.255-256.

100
 In 1985, Disney entered into official negotiations with several Chinese media

groups regarding the distribution of its films and television programs. A year later, a

historic agreement was finally signed. According to the agreement, Chinese Central

Television (CCTV) got Disney’s cartoons for free, including classics with Mickey

Mouse and Donald Duck and maintained complete editorial control of the cartoons to

‘dub the programs and make adjustments for “ideological content”, reworking

dialogue if necessary’,155 while Disney also got what they wanted, that is, to get into

the Chinese film and television market, which made its further business progression

in China possible.

According to Dong Hao, who dubbed Mickey Mouse during the years (1985-

1986) when it broadcast Mickey and Donald, CCTV would receive bags of letters

every day from children all over the country, many of whom asked for repeat

broadcast. He is still being called ‘Uncle Mickey’ nowadays everywhere he goes.

‘Before Mickey and Donald, I had dubbed many other cartoons including the

imported ones such as Sesame Street and The Wonderful Adventures of Nils, but none

had achieved such success’, said Dong Hao to a China Newsweek reporter.156 Thus it

can be seen that Disney, with its classic cartoon characters, quickly caught the eye of

Chinese children and became an important part of their life. Products such as

stationeries, toys and clothes with Disney’s cartoon characters on them flooded the

market and became very popular, even though such products were not authorized by

Disney.157

155
Schweizer, P. and Schweizer, R., p.257.
156
Dai, J.T., p.61.
157
Dai, J.T., p.61.

101
 By the end of the 1980s, due to intellectual property rights disputes, Disney

terminated its cooperation with CCTV and pulled out of China almost completely.158

Despite the failure of its efforts, Disney was still eager to embrace the Chinese

market. When it left China, it did not go very far. In 1988, Disney opened its Asia

Pacific regional headquarters for Disney consumer products in Hong Kong.159 At that

time, Hong Kong was still a dependent territory of the United Kingdom, but an

agreement had been reached between the Chinese government and the British

government in 1984 (the Sino-British Joint Declaration) that its sovereignty would be

transferred to the People's Republic of China in 1997. The location of Disney’s Asia

Pacific regional headquarters revealed its long-term strategy with regard to the

Chinese market. Even after the Tiananmen Square incident in 1989, Erwin Okun,

Disney’s vice president for Corporate Communications, said ‘Frankly, it’s nothing to

concern ourselves with’160, when responding to a Los Angeles Times’ survey of

opinions on investments in China. For Disney, the Chinese market was clearly too

attractive to be abandoned.

On entering the 1990s, Disney’s business in China started to resume, but this

time the company did not just bring its ‘free’ classics and did not only target

television. In 1993, the first Chinese-language Disney cartoon magazine, the Mickey

Mouse Magazine, was launched in China. It was published by TongQu (Children’s

Fun Publishing Co. Ltd.) which was a licensee of the Walt Disney Company and co-

founded by the Post and Telecom Press of China and the Egmont Group of Denmark.

Within a few months of its debut the company was selling 150,000 copies per

158
Schweizer, P. and Schweizer, R., p.258.
159
Disney Wikipedia of DisneyBox.com, The Walt Disney Company in China.
160
Schweizer, P. and Schweizer, R., p. 258.

102
month.161 From 1994, China began to import the latest Hollywood blockbusters on a

revenue-sharing basis. In 1995, The Lion King was brought to Chinese audiences. It

was Disney’s first and also Hollywood’s first animation film that had been screened

in China since the establishment of the Open-Door Policy. The film proved to be a

great success not only at the box office but also in promoting the Disney brand

among Chinese audiences. After acquiring ABC in 1996, Disney gained the Dragon

Club, a well-received children’s program which was created by ABC for Chinese

local cable TV stations and initially aired in 1994.162 In two years’ time, Disney

successfully made this program a place to promote Disney’s cartoons.163 In 1996,

Disney started to dabble in Chinese radio. Its deal with China National Radio (CNR)

put a half-hour program called It’s a Small World on the air. The show started at 3.30

pm every Saturday and featured Disney’s cartoon stars from Mickey to the Lion

King.164 In the same year, Disney’s skating show, Disney on Ice, was staged in

Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.165 Meanwhile, Disney was allowed to open

‘Mickey’s Corner’ stores to sell its merchandise, including clothes and

accessories.166 In 1998, an official announcement was made that China’s first Disney

theme park would be built in Hong Kong.167 It was also since 1998 that video

161
Liu, W. and Liao L. P., ‘Fang TongQu chuban youxian gongsi’ (An Interview with Children’s Fun
Publishing Co. Ltd.), Chuban cankao (Publishing World), 11 (2001).
162
Disney Wikipedia of DisneyBox.com, Dragon Club,
<http://www.disneybox.com/wiki/%E5%B0%8F%E7%A5%9E%E9%BE%99%E4%BF%B1%E4%B
9%90%E9%83%A8 > [accessed 20 Jul. 2008]
163
Zhang, F. and Li, W., ‘Dishini: Didiao de pinpai kuozhang’ (Disney’s Low-profile Brand
Expansion), Sanlian shenghuo zhoukan (Sanlian life weekly), 2001,
<http://home.donews.com/donews/article/2/22472.html> [accessed 18 Sep. 2008].
164
Schweizer, P. and Schweizer, R., p.260.
165
Disney Wikipedia from DisneyBox.com, The Walt Disney Company in China.
166
Schweizer, P. and Schweizer, R., p.261.
167
Disney Wikipedia of DisneyBox.com, The Walt Disney Company in China.

103
products, including DVDs, VCDs and videotapes of Disney’s films and animation

series started to be commercially distributed in China.168

Compared to Disney’s first re-entry into China in the early 1980s, its second re-

entry at the beginning of the 1990s was much stronger. Disney made great efforts in

several arenas, including publication, television, radio, film, stage performance and

so on to achieve their ambitions in China. At that time, China had opened its gate

wide enough to allow entertainment products from many other foreign providers to

enter the Chinese market. With their options increasing day by day, Chinese people

became more rational about the ‘new’ things. It was then that the third stage of

Chinese perceptions on Disney discussed in previous section started, in which critics

and consumers themselves started to have different opinions on Disney.

Disney had kept very good relations with Chinese authorities until Michael

Ovitz became Disney’s new president and brought the Kundun project to Disney in

1995.169 It was a Disney-funded biography of the Dalai Lama, which the Chinese

government considered politically provocative. They warned Disney that if the film

proceeded its business in China would be at risk.170 On 11 December 1996, Ovitz

resigned from or was dismissed by Disney. Whatever the cause was, the result

certainly pleased the Chinese government.171 The film Kundun was released in the

US at the end of 1997, which, as it was expected, resulted in a ban on Disney

products throughout China.172 The ‘Kundun’ event gave Chinese reviewers more to

168
Ibid.
169
Schweizer, P. and Schweizer, R., p.261-262.
170
Ibid, p.262.
171
Ibid, p.264.
172
Groves, D., ‘Disney hopes China will welcome “Mulan”: “Kundun” flap may affect release’,
Variety, Wed., 5 Aug. 1998. Variety.com.
<http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117479140.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&query=Mulan+china>
[accessed 01 Feb. 2008].

104
criticize Disney about. The release of Disney’s Mulan (1999)173 in China marked the

end of the ban which had been in effect for almost sixteen months174, but the emotion

lasted and effectively increased the volume of negative reviews for this Chinese-

story adaptation, which will be discussed in the case study of Mulan presented later

in this chapter.

Kundun damaged Disney’s business in China, but the damage was not

irreparable because fans continue to be supportive. In the new millennium, Disney

kept its pace of expansion in China. On 26 August 2001, Disney’s official Chinese

website, Disney.com.cn, was launched. The website inherited Disney’s ‘family

entertainment’ spirit and featured some Chinese elements such as the use of Chinese

traditional costume on the cartoon characters appearing on the website. The website

aimed to build a platform for both entertainment and education that could be

accepted by Chinese parents. By cooperating with Haihong (a leading provider of

Chinese online games), Disney also entered the realm of online games.175 In 2003,

Disney in co-operation with INDEX (a Beijing based information service company)

started to provide WAP (wireless application protocol) service to the booming

Chinese mobile telecommunication business. The content they provided included

ringtones, flash, multimedia messages, standby pictures and games that featured

Disney’s cartoon elements and music.176 In 2005, Disney moved its regional

headquarters for consumer products in Asia Pacific from Hong Kong to Shanghai to

expand their presence in mainland China. In the same year, after seven years’

preparation and construction, Hong Kong Disneyland was finally opened. In their

173
The year given in this chapter is the year that the film was released in China.
174
Waxman, S., ‘China Bans Work with Film Studios’, The Washington Post, 1 Nov. 1997, p.C1.
175
Zhan, Y., ‘Dishini zhongguo wangzhan benyue kaitong’ (Disney China Website Launched this
Month), China Internet Weekly, 29 (2001), 22.
176
Mu, G., ‘Kuaile Dishini wei zhongguo WAP yewu dailai qingxin zhi feng’ (Disney, A Freshener in
Chinese WAP Market), Communications World, 40 (2003), 42.

105
traditional realms such as television and film, Disney kept seeking new

breakthroughs while maintaining their existing advantages. By 2005, Disney’s TV

program Dragon Club was broadcast by a total of forty-nine local television stations

with 160 million viewers.177 In addition to their own films being imported regularly,

Disney also started to co-produce films with Chinese studios. In 2007, The Secret of

the Magic Gourd was released, which was coproduced by Disney and the China Film

Group.

Despite certain twists and turns, Disney’s development since the beginning of

the new millennium has been steady and vigorous. The connection between the

company and the Chinese market got tightened as Disney progressed into more and

more business lines. Its focus was still on younger customers, which can be seen

from its efforts in business areas such as digital services which have a stronger

appeal to the younger generation. In addition, its cooperation with the Chinese film

industry on producing children’s films, which brought new elements into the practice,

not only proved its reputation and influence but also had them strengthened.

Looking at the history of Disney’s development in China, we can clearly see its

ambition and tendency of expansion in the Chinese market. By examine the historical

events, it is also understood how Disney’s image was shaped and varied throughout

time. More importantly, what can be seen from the path that Disney has been through

in China is unlike what is generally believed to be an overwhelming progression.

There was progression as well as recession and for most of the time, it is not Disney

but the Chinese government who has the power to control the importation and the

Chinese market influenced by piracy that get to make the decision. Much of Disney’s

progression is found to be made in co-operation with Chinese entities such as film

177
Zhao, L.M., p.67.

106
studios, which reflects Disney’s difficulties to progress on its own in the Chinese

market. Apart from the resistance Disney has met, we can also see its achievement.

In the following section, by looking into detailed numbers, the company’s

performance in Chinese film and television markets (including DVD/VCD sales) is

examined.

Disney in Chinese Market

To investigate the performance of Disney’s film and television products in the

Chinese market, three aspects, namely, box office performance, television ratings178

and DVD/VCD sales which include both film and television programs, are examined.

From 1994 to 2007, China imported a total of 166 films (see Appendix A) on a

revenue-sharing basis from the US. Twenty-seven of these films, that is about sixteen

percent, were contributed by Disney and are shown in Table 3.1 below. Among these

Disney films there were fifteen family films, making up about fifty-five percent,

from which it can be seen that family films played an important role among Disney’s

film exports to China.

Table 3.1 Disney Films Released on a Revenue-Sharing Basis in China (1994-

2007)
Box Office
Family Production in China
Year Title Genre
Film Company (million
Yuan)
1994
Walt Disney
1995 The Lion King Animation Yes 41.3
Pictures
Hollywood
The Rock Action No 47.7
Pictures
1996
Walt Disney
Toy Story Animation Yes 31.8
Pictures

178
Due to limited sources, Disney’s television programs and Disney’s films shown on TV are not
discussed for now.

107
 Box Office
Family Production in China
Year Title Genre
Film Company (million
Yuan)
1997
1998
Touchstone
Enemy of the State Drama No 22.0
Pictures
Walt Disney
1999 Mulan Animation Yes 11.0
Pictures
Walt Disney
Tarzan Animation Yes 11.0
Pictures
Walt Disney
2000 Dinosaur Animation Yes 27.0
Pictures
Touchstone
2001 Pearl Harbor Romance No 105.0
Pictures
The Princess Walt Disney
Comedy Yes -
Diaries Pictures
2002
Touchstone
Bad Company Action No -
Pictures
Walt Disney
Finding Nemo Animation Yes 33.0
Pictures
Pirates of the
Caribbean: Adventure Walt Disney
Yes 27.0
The Curse of Fantasy Pictures
2003
the Black Pearl
Sweet Home Touchstone
Romance No -
Alabama Pictures
Touchstone
The Recruit Action No -
Pictures
Cold Mountain Romance No Miramax Films 26.5
Touchstone
King Arthur History No 26.0
2004 Pictures
Touchstone
Ladder 49 Action No -
Pictures
Walt Disney
National Treasure Adventure Yes 35.92
Pictures
2005
Walt Disney
The Incredibles Animation Yes 21.0
Pictures
The Chronicles of
Narnia : The Adventure Walt Disney
Yes 61.0
Lion,the Witch and Fantasy Pictures
the Wardrobe
2006 Walt Disney
Eight Below Adventure Yes 55.70
Pictures
Cars Animation Yes Walt Disney 21.45
Pictures
Goal! Sport No Touchstone 6.0

108
 Box Office
Family Production in China
Year Title Genre
Film Company (million
Yuan)
Pictures
Pirates of the
Adventure Walt Disney
Caribbean: Yes 125.0
Fantasy Pictures
At World's End
Déjàvu Action No Touchstone 28.0
2007 Pictures
The Guardian Adventure No Touchstone 25.0
Pictures
Walt Disney
Ratatouille Animation Yes 21.2
Pictures

The total number of family films that China had imported during the same

period was sixty-three (see Appendix A), almost a quarter of which were provided by

Disney. Disney’s The Lion King (1995), as its first animation films imported by

China, achieved a total box office of 41.3 million yuan, ranking third among the six

imported American films in 1995 and fifth among all films released that year. In

1996, imported films scored a resounding triumph in the Chinese market. Although

Toy Story (1996) was not as successful as The Lion King, it still secured the ninth

place among all the releases that year, earning more than the No. 1 domestic film

which took the tenth place. In 1997 and 1998, when imported films kept harvesting

at the Chinese box office, Disney was forced to be absent due to the Kundun incident.

When Disney regained its access to the Chinese market in 1999, its two releases

encountered very tough market conditions. Although they managed to rank among

the top ten films of that year, being the eighth and the ninth respectively, box office

earnings were only about one-third of Toy Story (1996). From 2000 onwards, Disney

kept a steady quota of film exportation to China, at least one film every year. Not all

of them were family films, yet each of Disney’s family films managed to achieve a

box office that was no less than twenty million yuan. In 2000, Disney brought the

109
Chinese audience back to the Cretaceous period with its animation feature Dinosaur

(2000) which took second place among the eleven imported US films with twenty-

seven million yuan gained from the box office. Even in a year when domestic films

seemed to out-perform imported blockbusters, it still ranked sixth among all releases.

Although no Disney family film was imported in 2001 and The Princess Dairies

in 2002 was only a minor hit, Disney succeeded by moving its stage to the ocean. Its

two films, Finding Nemo (2003) and Pirates of the Caribbean (2003), took the fifth

and the sixth position respectively against their US rivals (fifteen in totals), the

seventh and the ninth among all films. After 2004, another year without Disney

family films, Disney kept its strength in family film competition, with at least two

(three in 2006) family films being put into the market every year. In the reviving

Chinese film market, as of 2008, The Chronicles of Narnia (2006) and Pirates of the

Caribbean (2007) in particular, rounding up 61.0 million yuan and 125.0 million

yuan in turn, were the top two Disney family films in China.

When talking about Disney in the Chinese market, there is an interesting

phenomenon that is worth mentioning. The Chinese translation for the film title Toy

Story (1996) was Wanju Zongdongyuan, where ‘Wanju’ means toys and

‘Zongdongyuan’ means general mobilization, describing a state of everybody joining

in the same activity. From then on, there were five more Disney animation films

whose titles were translated by their Chinese distributor using the format ‘X

Zongdongyuan’, where ‘X’ represented the content of the film. All these films were

Disney-Pixar 3D animations. For example, Finding Nemo (2003) was translated as

Haidi Zongdongyuan in which ‘Haidi’ means under-water. The similarity in title

made these animation features feel like a series of related films. The Chinese

distributors made ‘Zongdongyuan’ a label which meant almost the same as ‘Disney’.

110
They managed to promote Disney’s animation films by embedding the ‘trademark’

into the titles without offending the audience. In recent years, some non-Disney

animation films also used this format, including DreamWorks’ Bee Movie (2007)179

and a Chinese animation film Qianting Zongdongyuan (2008), a story of two

submarines and their adventure. A report from The Beijing News (the most popular

city daily distributed in Beijing) considered that the accumulated credit of Disney-

Pixar’s ‘Zongdongyuan’ series had made it the mark for quality animation and even a

form of box office appeal.180 No wonder that DreamWorks, Disney’s competitor,

would let their distributor name their film with it.

Table 3.2 Film Title Translation of Disney’s Animation Films with

“Zongdongyuan”
Year English Title Chinese Translation
1996 Toy Story Wanju Zongdongyuan 玩具总动员
Wanju 玩具: toys.
2003 Finding Nemo Haidi Zongdongyuan 海底总动员
Haidi 海底: under-ocean.
2004 The Incredibles Chaoren Zongdongyuan 超人总动员
Chaoren 超人: supermen.
2006 Cars Qiche Zongdongyuan 汽车总动员
Qiche 汽车: cars.
2007 Ratatouille Meishi Zongdongyuan 美食总动员
Meishi 美食: delicious food.
2008 WALL-E Jiqieen Zongdongyuan 机器人总动员
Jiqiren 机器人: robots.

In 1998, when Disney officially started DVD/VCD sales in China, it gave the

rights to distribute its video products to CAV Thakral Home Entertainment, a joint

venture of China Audio & Video Publishing House (CAVPH) and Singapore Thakral

Corporation. The cooperation lasted from 1998 to 2006 during which time the

179
The film has not been screened in China. Only VCDs and DVDs are available.
180
Sun, L. L., ‘Meishi zongdongyuan: Yiran shihe quanjia zongdongyuan’ (Ratatouille, Call for
Families), The Beijing News, 27 Oct. 2007. <http://www.thebeijingnews.com/ent/ylzk/2007/10-
27/014@005042.htm> [accessed 10 Apr. 2008]

111
company also managed the DVD/VCD distribution of other Hollywood studios such

as 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros and Paramount. In 2006, the CAV Thakral joint

venture encountered significant business shrinkage because they did not manage to

extend their contract with their previous clients including Disney. Since then, CAV

Thakral Home Entertainment started to fade out of the market.181

In the same year, Excel Media, a Guangdong based company, became Disney’s

authorized distributor of DVD/VCD. Excel Media was acquired by Deltamac, a

subsidiary of Taiwan CMC, a media storage company, in 2005 and now the leading

agency for distributing audio and video products in mainland China.182 After taking

over the distribution of Disney’s DVD/CVD, Excel Media, in August 2007, started to

re-release a selection of Disney’s films, many of which had already been released by

CAV Thakral Home Entertainment. The new versions used new cover designs which

included Disney’s castle logo with Chinese words stating ‘Authentic Disney’ against

a blue background instead of CAV Thakral’s red banner with the same words.183 At

the moment, genuine Disney video products distributed in the Chinese market are

either of the two versions, although the products displayed on Disney’s Chinese

website are all from Excel Media.

With regards to the US materials, It is important to examine the video sales to

verify the real performance of a film because it is considered one of the most

significant sources of income for the major studios, especially if it is a family film.

According to Robert Allen, videos purchased by parents for their children take up the

181
Disney Wikipedia of DisneyBox.com, CAV Thakral Home Entertainment,
<http://www.disneybox.com/wiki/%E4%B8%AD%E5%BD%95%E5%BE%B7%E5%8A%A0%E6%
8B%89> [accessed 10 Apr. 2008]
182
Disney Wikipedia of DisneyBox.com, Excel Media,
<http://www.disneybox.com/wiki/%E6%B3%B0%E7%9B%9B%E6%96%87%E5%8C%96>
[accessed 10 Apr. 2008]
183
Anon., ‘Taisheng jiang tuichu xilie die’ (Excel Media to Republish a Series of Disney’s DVDs),
SINA.com.cn, 15 Aug. 2007, <http://ent.sina.com.cn/e/2007-08-15/13591677269.shtml> [accessed 18
Nov. 2008].

112
largest portion of total video sales in US184, which is why Disney’s animation films

are frequently found on the list of top selling video products including DVD and

VHS. But the situation for video sales in China is different. In the Chinese market,

the price of authentic DVDs and VCDs is much lower than it is in the US, usually

lower than the film ticket price. The low price of DVD/VCD is partially due to the

widely availability of pirated copies across the country. Take UME, Beijing

Broadway Cinemas and Stellar International Cineplex, three popular movie theatres

in Beijing for example; their ticket prices ranged from 30 to 120 yuan as of

December 2008.185 The price of an authentic DVD can go as low as 10 yuan. When

CAV Thakral Home Entertainment started to sell Disney videos in 1998, the price of

a DVD was set at 110 yuan which went down to 36 yuan in 2002.186 When

interviewed by The New York Times, a general manager of CAV Thakral Home

Entertainment said: ‘Chinese consumers don’t want to pay 36 yuan for a VCD, see it

once or twice and give it away. They would rather pay 6, 8 or 10 yuan to see a

pirated copy and then throw it away.’187 When Excel Media republished the new

version of Disney’s DVDs, it came with a commitment that from then on the Chinese

consumers could enjoy authentic Disney DVDs for no more than 20 yuan each.188

Additionally, in contrast to the video sales of family films in the US, on the list of

all-time best-selling DVDs provided by Joyo (amazon.cn), Disney’s animation films

184
Allen, R.C., ‘Home alone together: Hollywood and the “family film”’, in Indentifying Hollywood’s
Audiences: Cultural Identify and the Movies, ed. by M. Stokes and R. Maltby (London: BFI, 1999),
pp. 116.
185
UME, <http://www.bjume.com>, Beijing Broadway Cinemas, <http://www.b-cinema.cn>, Stellar
International Cineplex, <http://www.bjxingmei.com>, [accessed 04 Dec. 2008].
186
Li, S., ‘CAV Thakral lingren shangxin de DVD’ (The heartbreaking CAV Thakral DVDs),
Incomplete Handbook for DVD, Mar. 2002, <http://www.mov8.com/dvd/freetalk_show.asp?id=3614>
[accessed 18 Nov. 2008].
187
Smith, C. S., ‘A Tale of Piracy: How the Chinese Stole the Grinch’, The New York Times, 12 Dec.
2000.
<http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A01E0DD123FF931A25751C1A9669C8B63&sec
=&spon=&pagewanted=1> [accessed 18 Nov. 2008]
188
Anon., ‘Taisheng jiang tuichu xilie die’ (Excel Media to Republish a Series of Disney’s DVDs).

113
are rarely spotted. Because the information contained in the list is limited by only

providing the rank rather than the actual number of copies sold for these

DVDs/VCDs, the data of video sales in China should not be considered the same

level of importance as that of the US.

However, since the price of DVDs is generally lower than the price of film

tickets, people might be inclined to buy them as an alternative to going to cinemas.

Hence, video sales in China still need to be taken into account, but should be

considered in a different way. Their importance in the analysis should be deducted.

According to the available data at the moment, DVDs and VCDs with Disney’s

content sell well in China among cartoons and animations. Table 4.3 is a chart of

cartoon and animation DVD/VCD sale on Joyo (Amazon.cn), which shows Disney’s

dominance. An interesting thing to find is that some of the Disney animation films

which did not do so well at the box office, such as Ratatouille and Cars, performed

very well in video sales. This suggests that DVDs/VCDs are more likely to be

purchased as cinema alternatives by Chinese consumers and video sales need to be

considered to rectify the evaluation of a film’s performance in Chinese market.

Table 3.3 Top 20 Best-Sellers of Cartoon & Animation DVD/VCD on Joyo

Rank Title Disney?
1 Ratatouille (DVD Region 6) Yes
2 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 1 (DVD plus Book) Yes
3 Doggy Poo (Korea) No
4 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 2 (DVD plus Book) Yes
5 Cars (DVD Region 6) Yes
6 Transformers (TV Series, 15 DVD, Special Edition) No
7 The Secret of the Magic Gourd Yes
8 The Little Mermaid (DVD Free Region, Special Edition) Yes
9 The Wild (DVD Region 6) Yes
10 Finding Nemo (DVD Region 6) Yes
11 Tom and Jerry: 50th Anniversary Treasure Edition (10 No
DVDs)
12 Open Season (DVD Region 6) No
13 The Incredibles (DVD Region 6) Yes
14 Piglet's Big Movie (DVD Free Region) Yes

114
 15 Brother Bear (DVD Region 6) No
16 Mulan (DVD Region 6) Yes
17 The Tigger Movie (DVD Free Region) Yes
18 Doraemon (Japan, TV Series, 3 DVDs) No
19 Tazan (DVD Region 6) Yes
20 Disney Princess Stories Vol.1 (DVD Region 6) Yes

In general, based on its performance at the box office and the video sales,

Disney has a strong position in the Chinese market. Nevertheless, this position seems

not as dominant as it is in the US. To see the influence of Disney in China clearly,

examining its performance in the market through analysis of solid figures is not

enough. Apart from all the above economic facts, some cultural aspects also need to

be considered to achieve a more thorough understanding of Disney’s influence and,

more importantly, its reception among Chinese audience, which is why the following

case study of The Lion King is conducted and presented.

The Lion King: a Legend of Disney in China

The Lion King, the 32nd animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Feature

Animation, was released in the US on June 15, 1994. It was the worldwide yearly No.

1 of 1994 at the box office (768.2 million dollars). As of December 2008, it still

ranks 24th on the list of all-time worldwide box office grosses with a total of 783.8

million dollars gained, being the first place of 2D animated features and the fourth

among all animation films only after Shrek 2 (2004), Finding Nemo (2003) and Shrek

the Third (2007).189 Thanks to the change in film importation policy made by the

Chinese government in 1994, The Lion King made its debut in Beijing on July 15,

1995. As the first Disney animation feature and also the first Hollywood family film

189
Box Office Mojo, The Lion King, <http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lionking.htm>
[accessed 2 Dec. 2008]

115
imported by China, it performed very well as previously stated.190 The success of The

Lion King at the Chinese box office was the continuance of its global appeal.

The Lion King was re-released on VHS and released on DVD for the first time

on 7th October 2003 and sold more than 3 million copies (92 percent of which were

DVD sales) in its first two days. At that time, it was already the best-selling home

video which had sold a total of 32 million copies on VHS before the re-release.191 As

a part of the global release, the DVD, under the title The Lion King: Special Edition,

was released in China by CAV Thakral Home Entertainment at the end of 2003,

before which a VCD version of the film had also been released by the same company

in 1998.192 It is noteworthy that, after the film’s theatre release in 1995 until its first

video release (on VCD) in China, there was no authentic video product available in

the Chinese market. Due to the impact of piracy, the data of The Lion King’s video

sales become less convincing. However, according to the leading online shopping

websites for authentic video products in China, including joyo.com (amazon.cn),

dangdang.com and gouduo.com, the film is sold out on both VCDs and DVDs with

customers requesting for restocking.193 Because the CAV Thakral Home

Entertainment no longer exists and the Excel Media that takes its place has not yet

190
Please see page 15 -16.
191
Anon., ‘Lion King DVD sells 3m’, BBC, 10 Oct. 2003,
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/3181780.stm> [accessed 5 Dec. 2008].
192
Disney Wikipedia of DisneyBox.com, Disney Platinum Collection,
<http://www.disneybox.com/wiki/%E8%BF%AA%E5%A3%AB%E5%B0%BC%E7%99%BD%E9
%87%91%E5%85%B8%E8%97%8F%E7%B3%BB%E5%88%97> [accessed 3 Dec. 2008];
Meisaidesi (internet alias), ‘Shiziwang shoufaban VCD’ (The First Edition VCD of The Lion King),
Guaishow.com, 6 Jun. 2007,
<http://www.guaishow.com/u/wwwzamhx/g2137/> [accessed 3 Dec. 2008].
193
Joyo.com (amazon.cn), <http://www.mov99.com/dvd/talk/713.html>; Dangdang.com,
<http://product.dangdang.com/product.aspx?product_id=9194003>; Gouduo.com,
<http://www.gouduo.com/ware_3878.html> [accessed 4 Dec. 2008].

116
released any video products of the film, the restocking in China is currently

impossible. 194

Other related products had also been active in the Chinese market. The original

soundtracks of the 1994 film for Greater China area were first released by Rock

Records Co. Ltd. and introduced to mainland China by Shanghai Sheng Xiang

(Shanghai Audio-visual Publishing House) in 1996. In 2001, Meika Culture Audio &

Video Co. Ltd. in cooperation with EMI (Electric & Musical Industries Ltd.) re-

released the soundtracks on CD and VCD packs.195 The spin-off television series

titled The Lion King's Timon and Pumbaa was released in 1995 and its Mandarin

version had been shown on Chinese television through Disney’s Dragon Club TV

program, the VCD of which was released by CAV Thakral in 1999.196 The sequels,

The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride and The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata had also been

released by CAV Thakral on both DVD and VCD in 1998 and 2004 and are still

available.197 These sequels and television spin-offs together with the original film

were published as comic books in many versions by TongQu (Children’s Fun

Publishing Co. Ltd.). 198

In July 2006, Disney brought the Broadway stage musical of The Lion King to

Shanghai. The musical was adapted from the original film in 1997 and received six

1998’s Tony Awards. The show in Shanghai was its first show in English language

in Asia and was very well received. During its three months in Shanghai, a total of

101 performances were given, which grossed 72 million yuan from the about 160

194
Gouduo.com, <http://www.gouduo.com/ware_3878.html> [accessed 4 Dec. 2008].
195
Disney Wikipedia of DisneyBox.com, The Lion King,
<http://www.disneybox.com/wiki/%E7%8B%AE%E5%AD%90%E7%8E%8B> [accessed 2 Dec.
2008]
196
Disney Wikipedia of DisneyBox.com, The Lion King.
197
Ibid.
198
TongQu (Children’s Fun Publishing Co. Ltd.), <http://www.childrenfun.com.cn/> [accessed 2 Dec.
2008]

117
thousand tickets sold. This achievement, according to China Culture Daily, created a

record for stage show in China.199 People Daily praised its visual and audio appeal

and described it as ‘a truly moving feast of art’.200 Its soundtracks were also released

in China in late 2006.201

Comparing The Lion King with all the other Disney films in the Chinese market,

the variety and time of continuance of its related products remains unmatched to this

day. In this respect, it deserves the reputation as Disney’s legend in China. However,

the reason why I claim this is not only because of its economic achievement but also

for its profound and lasting influence in China.

The Lion King is regarded a landmark in animation.202 In June 2008, the

American Film Institute revealed its ‘10 Top 10’, that is, the best ten films in ten

‘classic’ American film genres. Based on votes from more than 1500 people from the

creative community, The Lion King was acknowledged as the fourth best film in

animation.203 This film receives an average rating of 8.1 out of 10 from 97,631 votes

on IMDb and an approval rating of 92 percent based on 61 reviews collected at

Rotten Tomatoes as of December 2008.204 The response from the Chinese audience

to The Lion King was no less enthusiastic. On Chinese website Mtime, the film gets

a rating of 9 out of 10 from 597 votes. Before the film was officially released in

199
Kui, R.Y., ‘Shiziwang: Shiting shengyan dadong xinling’ (The Lion King: A Treat for both the
Ears and Eyes), China Culture Daily, 24 Jul. 2006, p.001; ‘Shiziwang wanmei xiemu’ (The Perfect
Ending of The Lion King ), China Culture Daily, 16 Oct. 2006, p.001.
200
Li, W.Y., ‘Yong yishu liliang gandong guanzhong’ (Moving the Audience with the Power of Art),
People Daily, 18 Jul. 2006, p.016.
201
Disney Wikipedia of DisneyBox.com, The Lion King.
202
DVDFILE.com, ‘The Lion King interview’,
<http://www.dvdfile.com/news/special_report/in_the_round/lionking/1.html> [accessed 16 Oct. 2008]
203
American Film Institute, AFI's 10 Top 10, 17 June 2008,
<http://www.afi.com/10top10/animation.html> [accessed 16 Oct. 2008]
204
IMDB, The Lion King, <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110357/> [accessed 5 Dec. 2008]; Rotten
Tomatoes, The Lion King, <http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/lion_king/?name_order=asc> [accessed 5
Dec. 2008].

118
Chinese cinemas, China Film Group held a preview on 5 July, 1995 in Beijing.205

After the screening, a survey was conducted among one hundred audiences, of which

40 were from 6 to 15 years of age. In response to the question of whether they

enjoyed the film, 98 percent gave ‘yes’ as the answer.206 Positive comments were

also received from critics. Owen Gleiberman, film critic for Entertainment Weekly,

believed that it ‘has the resonance to stand not just as a terrific cartoon but as an

emotionally pungent movie’.207 Rolling Stone film critic Peter Travers wrote in his

review that it was ‘a hugely entertaining blend of music, fun and eye-popping thrills,

though it doesn't lack for heart’.208 After its release in China, Dongfang yishu

(Oriental Art) praised the film and wrote that it ‘was an emotionally beautiful film

and an extraordinary integration of music and story’.209

The Lion King is Disney’s first animation film that is not based on an existing

story. However, its originality is considered to be strongly inspired by Shakespeare’s

Hamlet. It tells the story of a young lion named Simba. He is tricked by his evil uncle,

Scar, to believe that the death of his father, King Mufasa, is his fault and leaves his

homeland with guilty. When he grows up and finally learns the truth, he takes the

courage to return home, at which time the kingdom is being ruined under Scar’s rule.

By defeating his uncle, he saves the kingdom and gains the throne that is meant to be

his. At the same time, some elements from the film are found to resemble a famous

205
Disney Wikipedia of DisneyBox.com, The Lion King,
<http://www.disneybox.com/wiki/%E7%8B%AE%E5%AD%90%E7%8E%8B> [accessed 20 Oct.
2008]
206
TodayOnHistory.com, 15 July 1995 - The Lion King Released in China,
<http://www.todayonhistory.com/7/15/d3716.htm> [accessed 20 Oct. 2008]
207
Gleiberman, O., ‘The Lion King movie review’, Entertainment Weekly. 24 Jun. 1994.
<http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,302734~1~~,00.html> [accessed 16 Oct. 2008]
208
Travers, P., ‘The Lion King movie review’, Rolling Stone, 14 Jul. 1994.
<http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/5947315/review/5947316/the_lion_king> [accessed 16
Oct. 2008]
209
Yao, Y. M., ‘Cong shiziwang tanqi’ (Starting from The Lion King), Dongfang yishu (Oriental Art),
6 (1995), 51-52 (p.52).

119
1960s Japanese animation television series, Kimba the White Lion. Apart from the

similarity in protagonist’s name (Kimba and Simba), analogues also exist in story

lines. Both the two lion princes are forced to flee from their home by their evil uncles

after the death of their fathers, grow up, get back, prevail over the uncles and retake

the kingship with the help of their friends. After the release of The Lion King in

China, there was an article from Dangdai Dianshi (Contemporary Television, one of

the most popular and representative television magazines in China) highlighted these

similarities between Kimba and The Lion King.210 In fact, this animation series had

been broadcasted by CCTV in the early 1980s. In answering the request by the

Chinese audiences, CCTV invited Tezuka Osamu, the author of Kimba the White

Lion, to make the 26-episode television series into 6 comic books which were

published in 1982 and became very popular among Chinese children. 211

In Chinese children’s films, there is a theme which I define as ‘little hero in

adventure’.212 It is about a ‘young boy’ growing into a ‘young hero’ though various

adventures based on historical events or mystical legends. According to Stephanie

Donald and Qing Li, a young boy who is naughty, passionate and brave is found

travelling through many of the Chinese children’s films, from Sanmao the Ragged

Shanghai Street Urchin (1949) to Lotus Lantern (1999).213 Gazi in Xiao Bing Zhang

Ga (Little Soldier Zhangga, 1963), Sun Wukong in Da Nao Tian Gong (The Monkey

King, 1965) and Nezha in Nezha Nao Hai (Nezha Calms the Sea, 1979) are all such

210
Zhao. W. P., ‘Shiziwang you piaoqie zhi xian’ (The Lion King, The Plagiarism?), Dangdai dianshi
(Contemporary Television), 5 (1995), 60.
211
Tezuka, O., Sen Lin Da Di 6 (Kimba the White Lion 6), (Beijing: China Radio and Television
Publication House, 1983), p.103.
212
By reviewing all the Chinese children’s films since 1949, I have identified the three major
narrative themes as ‘little hero in adventure’, ‘good student at school’ and ‘story with science fiction
plots’.
213
Donald, S.H., Little Friends: Children’s Film and Media Culture in China (Lanham: The Rowman
& Littlefield Publisher, 2005), p.1; Li, Q., ‘Xinzhongguo ertong dianying chengzhang zhuti tansuo’
(Exploring the ‘grow up’ theme of New China Children’s Film), Fujian Tribune, 5 (2007), 91-95
(p.91-92).

120
characters. Meanwhile, these Chinese children’s films also belong to and are very

representative in the ‘little hero in adventure’ category. The Lion King happened to

fit into this tradition which is probably one of the reasons why it was well accepted

by the Chinese audiences.

Following the release of The Lion King in China, Zhongguo qingnian keji (a

Chinese magazine sponsored by the China Communist Youth League Central

Committee and the China Youth Development foundation devoted to youth and

science topics) in its one preface talked about the success of the film in China and

generated discussions on the inspiration it brought to China. In the article it was

written that ‘it (The Lion King) can be easily appreciated by the populace, and

meanwhile, maintains a high level of achievement in art, from which the Chinese

film producers should learn’.214 In the same year, President Jiang Zemin in his letter

to Shanghai Animation Film Studio encouraged them to produce animations with

high level of educational, artistic and entertaining standards.215 Although no proof of

direct connection between Jiang’s instruction and The Lion King was found, the

Chinese animated feature Lotus Lantern which started its production in 1995 was

considered to be influenced by The Lion King in several aspects.

Lotus Lantern falls into the theme category of ‘little hero in adventure’ for

Chinese children’s films. Thus, as previously explained, similarities to The Lion King

were also found in its narrative. Lotus Lantern is based on an ancient Chinese tale of

a young boy named Chenxiang who embarks on a journey to free his mother from

captivity by his evil uncle with the help of a magical lantern. Because of such

similarity, borrowing ideas from The Lion King became handy. The production of

214
Xi, J. Y., ‘Donghuapian shiziwang qishilu’ (Inspiration from The Lion King), Zhongguo qingnian
keji (China Youth and Science), 5 (1995), 1(p.1).
215
Peng, J.X., ‘Xue qirou gengyao xue qihun — Bijiao Shiziwang he Baoliandeng’ (Comparison of
The Lion King and Lotus Lantern), Movie Review, Z1 (1999), 28-29 (p.28).

121
Lotus Lantern took four years with more than three hundred people involved in the

drawing and consumed a record high budget of 12 million yuan in Chinese animation

history. Computer-aided design and facture had never been as much used in Chinese

animations as it was in Lotus Lantern. Besides, the amount of music and songs used

and their importance in pushing forward the plot in this film was also an unusual

occurrence.216 The survey conducted by the China Film Group in The Lion King’s

preview also asked the audiences to select what they liked about the film. Among all

the options, cartoon design and music were chosen by 98 percent of the

participants.217 Considering this, it is understandable why the producer of Lotus

Lantern, Shanghai Animation Film Studio, made such effort in these two aspects.

As a domestic Children’s film, Lotus Lantern performed well in the Chinese box

office by taking in 29 million yuan, ranking the third among all domestic films in the

Chinese market that year. It also outperformed Disney’s Mulan which is also an

animation film.218 Despite Lotus Lantern’s box office achievement, some Chinese

researchers still criticized it for only learning from the surface of The Lion King

without capturing the spirit. They pointed out that the characteristics of the

protagonist Chenxiang were flat throughout the film without being linked to the

adventure he experienced. The film also added some characters which do not belong

to the original story. One of them is a female character named Gamei who resemble

the position of the female lion Nala, Simba’s childhood playmate with whom he falls

in love when he grows up.219 Because romance used to be avoided in Chinese

children’s films, although the film made such an attempt to learn from The Lion King,

216
Peng, J.X., p.28.
217
TodayOnHistory.com, 15 July 1995 - The Lion King Released in China.
218
Editorial group of China Film Yearbook. China Film Yearbook(volume 2000) (Beijing: Publishing
Group of China Film Yearbook, 2000), p.150.
219
Peng, J.X., p.28.

122
the resulting character was not considered a success. The relation between Gamei

and Chenxiang is more like comrades in arms, which appears to the audience to be

too naive and affected.

The later film The Secret of the Magic Gourd (2007), which is a live-action

movie made by Walt Disney in co-operation with The China Film Group and Centro

Digital Pictures, made some breakthrough in characterization. It is an adaptation of a

local children's book written by Zhang Tianyi, which was first published in 1958.

Like The Lion King, it is also about the growing up of a naughty boy through

adventures. In The Lion King, there are two supporting characters Timon and

Pumbaa who accompanied Simba’s journey. They add a lot of humor to the story and

are very liked by the audiences. In China Film Group’s survey, Timon is neck and

neck with Simba as the most favored characters in The Lion King.220 In the case of

this Chinese film, it is the magic gourd. In fact, there was a Chinese black-white film

of this story made in 1963. In that film, the magic gourd was personalized into an old

man with white beard who acted as a mentor of the protagonist rather than a

companion. The remake rewrote the original story by adding in modern culture

elements. The most eye-catching change is the brand-new, 3D animated character of

the magic gourd. It is also a personalized character in the shape of a gourd. It has a

very lovely design with mouth on the belly, sparkling eyes and a cluster of curly hair

on the head. More importantly, the personality of the gourd is enriched with many

humorous elements. It becomes a character who can really interact with the boy with

comparable effect of Timon and Pumbaa in The Lion King.

220
TodayOnHistory.com, 15 July 1995 - The Lion King Released in China.

123
 Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert praised The Lion King ‘a learning

experience as well as an entertainment.’221 It is also true for the Chinese audiences,

although the ‘learning experience’ appears different in some ways. The Lion King, as

a family film, attracted the Chinese audiences, the OCG in particular, by giving them

something they had not experienced from Chinese children’s films. The resulting

relation between this film and the OCG is more complex.

The reception is not unexpected to Disney. In some measure, Disney had

deliberately tried to engage with this particular generation. To draw attention, Disney

with China Film Group donated their premier box office revenue in Beijing to

Zhonghua aizi yingshi jiaoyu cujin hui (an active Chinese nongovernmental

organization supported by the Ministry of Culture to promote film and television as

media for children education and to increase awareness of film and television

amongst children and parents), which aroused strong echoes in the Chinese media.222

Since the screening of The Lion King in China, it has been frequently used in

English language education for Chinese students from classrooms to instructional

publications.223 In 2002, Beijing Foreign Language Audiovisual Press published a

series of multimedia books for English language education. Titled Studying English

with Films, the series was edited by Professor Zhu Weifang from Beijing Foreign

Studies University aiming to help the reader to learn practical English by reading and

listening English language films. One of the books from the series is based on The

Lion King. From 2003 and onwards, more materials that were extracted or based on

221
Ebert, R., ‘The Lion King review’, Chicago Sun Times, 24 Jun. 1994.
<http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19940624/REVIEWS/406240301/1023>
[accessed 16 Oct. 2008]
222
Wang, Z. Q., ‘Jinkou yingpian shichang zongshu’ (The Review of Imported Films in 1995), China
Film Yearbook 1996, ed. by Editorial Group of China Film Yearbook. (Beijing: Publishing Group of
China Film Yearbook, 1996), pp. 204.
223
Materials from 1995 to 2001 are currently not available due to limited access. They will be added
after field work in China.

124
The Lion King started to appear in Chinese magazines in English language education

purpose. Examples of these magazines include Chuzhongsheng xuexi (a Chinese

magazine for junior middle school students to help with their studies in all subjects

by providing tips and exercises), Zhongxuesheng yingyu (English Journal for Middle

School Students: High School Edition, a leading Chinese magazine supervised by the

Ministry of Education, sponsored by Huazhong Normal University and devoted to

assisting middle school students with their English study) and Ketang neiwai (Open

Class, a very popular Chinese magazine among students that provides contents

outside of the textbooks).224 In practice, The Lion King is considered and used by

many middle school teachers as a very good source for idiomatic English.225 From

1999, English language education in China started in elementary school level.

Teachers found that using materials from The Lion King is very effective in getting

the attention of pupils and fostering their inquisitiveness of English.226

The English column of Xiaozuojia xuankan (a Chinese magazine to promote

works by young Chinese authors and also provide reading materials from selected

works) throughout its twelve issues of 2004 was dedicated to reacquaint its readers

with the contents of the film from lyrics to classic lines with pictures snapped from

the film as illustration. The aim was to increase the readers’ interest in reading

English classics such as Hamlet. In fact, some people from the OCG believe that it

was The Lion King that helped them to open the gate to Western culture. ‘Heizuo

224
Chun, Y. and Yong, Q., ‘The Lion King I & II’, Chuzhongsheng xuexi (Junior Middle School
Study), 09&10 (2003), p.4-5; Song, F.W., ‘From Hamlet to the King of the Lion’, Zhongxuesheng
yingyu: gaozhongban (English Journal for Middle School Students: High School Edition), 12(2003),
p.11-12; The lyrics of ‘I Just Can’t Wait to be King’, Ketang neiwai (Open Class), Z1 (2003), p.11-12.
225
Pang, Y.M., ‘Tan dianjiaomeiti zai yingyujiaoxue zhong de yingyong’ (The Application of
Multimedia in English Language Education), Journal of Puyang Vocational and Technical College,
01(2006), p.145.
226
Tian, A.K., etc., ‘Xiaoxue yingyujiaoxue youxi de sheji yu shixian’ (The Design and
Implementation of Games in Assisting English Language Education in Elementary School Level),
China Education Info, 06 (2007), p.60-61.

125
dongyi’ from Beijing in his article titled ‘If there were no The Lion King’ expressed

how the film had changed his life. He claimed that The Lion King introduced him to

Western literature and also fostered his interest in Western music.227

Apart from being a supplement to their text books, The Lion King means more to

the OCG by bringing its influence to a different level, especially for the OCG. The

Chinese children’s films were in their prosperous age in the OCG’s childhood.

Characters such as Sung Wukong and Nezha are the heroes in their childhood

memories. The tradition in Chinese children’s films and the characters from the films

that the OCG are already familiar with make The Lion King easily acceptable to them.

In addition, memory of Kimba the White Lion might make them want to compare The

Lion King with it. ‘Longxiaoge’, whose opinion was very representative, wrote

online to indicate that it was the nostalgia for Kimba the White Lion that made them

want to see The Lion King in the first place.228

Nostalgia was not the only thing that The Lion King had given the OCG. To

some people from the OCG, the relation and connection between Simba and his

father Mufasa in the film made them realize what was missing in their family life and

to a certain extent had the void filled. On the BBS of DisneyBox.com, a post titled

‘Dishini laoba paihangbang’ (The Billboard for Disney Fathers) proposed Mufasa as

‘the most competent father’ which was supported by many Disney fans.229 In a focus

group I organized in Beijing in Spring 2009, several post-80s Disney fans recalled a

scene as one of the most significant ones for them. The scene started after Mufasa,

227
Heizuo dongyi (internet alias), post in The Lion King, Douban, 26 Oct. 2005,
<http://www.douban.com/review/1008552/> [accessed 26 Nov. 2008]
228
Longxiaoge (internet alias), post in Kimba the White Lion Bar, Baidu TieBa, 12 Apr. 2008,
<http://tieba.baidu.com/f?kz=354524385> [accessed 26 Nov. 2008]
229
Muxu (internet alias), ‘Dishini laoba paihangbang’ (The Billboard for Disney Fathers),
DisneyBox.com, 11 Jan. 2006,
<http://www.disneybox.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=117&highlight=%E7%8B%AE%E5%AD%90%E7
%8E%8B > [accessed 20 Dec. 2008].

126
the father, rescued Simba, the son, and his accompany Nala from the hyenas. Mufasa

told Simba how very disappointed he was because what Simba did had put both Nala

and Simba himself in danger. He further explained that being brave did not mean that

one should go looking for danger, and confessed that he was scared because he

thought he might have lost his son. They finally reached an understanding and played

together in the fields. According to the focus group, the reason why this scene was so

important to them was that they recognized that what Mufasa did there to his son was

very different from what their parents might have done. All of them agreed that

Mufasa did not only show his strictness by telling his son what he did was wrong and

explaining why, but more importantly, he let his son know how important he is to

him and that he loves him. What the participants of the focus group would get from

their parents, on the other hand, would simply be instructions to obey their parents.

They wished that their parents could communicate them like the way Mufasa

communicated with Simba. On Douban, a user with ID ‘777’ admired Mufasa and

recommended him as the standard for a good father who understood his son and

knew how to ‘teach his son a lesson’.230 The focus group discussion revealed that

what Simba got from his father was what the OCG audiences had wanted to receive

from their parents. I believe many OCG audience would have had Mufasa as their

imaginary father when watching the film and have enjoyed the imaginary father-son

relationship, which is why the death of Mufasa is referred to by many OCG

audiences as one of the saddest moments they have experienced in all films.

The father-son relationships they appreciate and desire may be one of the

reasons why the OCG audiences make Simba the imaginary self when they watch the

film. More importantly, the character does reflect the OCG’s true selves. Ever since
230
777 (internet alias), post in The Lion King, Douban, 20 Apr. 2008,
<http://www.douban.com/review/1357909/> [accessed 26 Nov. 2008]

127
they were born, they have been given many titles – ‘little emperor’, ‘the rising sun’,

‘successor of the 21st century’ – which grant them with special positions in the

family and the society, and also, as a string attached, put heavy expectation on their

shoulders. The participants of the focus group in Beijing also had a heated discussion

on this. Some of them agreed that hearing young Simba sings ‘I Just Can't Wait to Be

King’ reminded them that they did not understand what responsibility means when

they were children. However, they did understand they were expected to be good

kids who were not supposed to make mistakes. So when they saw Simba felt guilty

over his father’s death, they understood him or even deem it as their own suffering.

Also on Douban, ‘Qinjiu’ gave a very representative remark of The Lion King, in

which he wrote that ‘(from the film) I see the path of my own growth’.231

The life of Simba with Timon and Pumbaa, the time of no restrictions, their

worry-free philosophy ‘Hakuna Matata’ also appealed to the OCG audiences. ‘Muxu’

in his ‘Nanzihan chengzhang bibei shouce’ (A Must Read for Men) suggested that

Simba set a good example for young men who learnt how to get rid of the sense of

frustration and to stand up against the challenge.232 The film does not end here.

Simba returns his homeland and confronts his evil uncle as well as his guilt. He

finally takes back the throne and becomes what his father Mufasa had hoped he

would be, to take his position in the circle of life, which shows the OCG audiences

what responsibility really means. It is claimed by ‘Shagongdaluo’ that, thinking back

in time, it was The Lion King that taught him love and responsibility in the first place,

231
Qinjiu (internet alias), post in The Lion King, Douban, 3 Jan. 2009,
<http://www.douban.com/review/1605857/> [accessed 20 Jan. 2009].
232
Muxu (internet alias), ‘Nanzihan chengzhang bibei shouce’ (A Must Read for Men),
DisneyBox.com, 11 Jan. 2006,
<http://www.disneybox.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=117&highlight=%E7%8B%AE%E5%AD%90%E7
%8E%8B > [accessed 20 Dec. 2008].

128
which is also a very representative point of view among the OCG.233 Nowadays,

some of the OCG have become parents themselves. ‘Huairen’ in his post on Douban

considered The Lion King as a textbook for young boys and it is one of the best

presents they can give to their children, which was agreed by many of his peers.234

As a Disney family film, The Lion King reflects the attempt of cross-generational

appeal that the Chinese children’s films are not good at providing. It is approved not

only by Chinese critics and general audiences as a good film but also by

educationists and many others as a good source for education purpose. In terms of

both longevity and extent, the influence of The Lion King in China is very

remarkable, which makes it a Disney legend in China and also an excellent case to

study the relation between the OCG and the American entertainment.

Disney is very representative in imported family entertainment in China. Its products

often have aroused strong interest among Chinese audiences and become subjects of

discussion of Chinese researchers. These imported products were different from the

domestic ones which they were familiar with in many aspects and the differences

were often easy to observe, which is why most studies by Chinese researchers on

imported entertainment emphasized their influence on the domestic industries and

the consumers. This chapter, as a case study of Disney in contemporary urban China,

investigated the subject from a more objective point of view. By going through the

change in Disney’s image and also the company’s development in China, it is shown

that the influence of its products does exist in many aspects. More importantly,

interaction was observed between Disney’s products and the Chinese domestic

233
Shagongdaluo (internet alias), post in The Lion King, Douban, 2 Nov. 2005,
<http://www.douban.com/review/1009235/> [accessed 26 Nov. 2008].
234
Huairen (internet alias), post in The Lion King, Douban, 7 May 2006,
<http://www.douban.com/review/1043283/> [accessed 26 Nov. 2008].

129
players such as the film industry and audience without overlooking the domestic

entertainment products that represents tradition.

Case study of The Lion King revealed the reception of Disney family films in

more details. On the one hand, the important role that the Chinese children’s films

had played in forging the preference of the young Chinese audience like the OCG

influenced the reception of these imported films. In other words, there are traditions

for Disney’s family films to fit in when they come into the Chinese market and not

every attempt guarantees good reception. On the other hand, there are Disney’s

family entertainment products or certain aspects of them that hold appeal for the

Chinese consumers. On seeing the advantage of such appeal, Chinese children’s

films makers for example started to see OCG preferences and demands as very

important and made effort to learn from the imported family films to bring change

into their own productions.

As demonstrated in this chapter, the Only Child Generation in China is a special,

interesting and important audience group to study. As a film of significant

importance for the OCG, The Lion King makes an excellent medium to study this

audience group. In terms of both longevity and extent, the influence of The Lion

King in China is very remarkable. As a Disney family film, The Lion King not only

fits well in the tradition of the Chinese children’s films but also reflects the attempt

of cross-generational appeal that the Chinese children’s films are not good at

providing. It is approved by Chinese media, film critics and general audiences as a

good film. Furthermore, it had a strong appeal for the OCG, which makes it a very

good case to study this special audience group and the relation between them and the

imported American entertainment.

130
 As also revealed in this chapter, the connection between the OCG and The Lion

King does not only reside at an entertainment level. It is considered by many,

including the OCG themselves, as an excellent source for education. It is observed

that the OCG received the influence of the film not only in school education such as

English language education, but also in relation to emotion and ideology. Firstly, the

OCG audiences perceived the film’s characters and story as a reflection on their own

growth. The resonance that the OCG found in The Lion King awards the film a very

importance position in the hearts of many OCG audiences. Furthermore, they

detected in the film solutions or at least consolations to problems in their own lives.

For example, the father-son relationship in the film somewhat compensated what the

OCG missed in their lives.

The Only Child Generation grew up in a period of dramatic social change in

China. In fact, the change was so dramatic that it was so hard for the OCG’s parent

generation who were trying to adapt to the situation themselves to provide them with

experience-based guidance. For most of the time, the OCG had to make judgement

and decision on what to accept and what to reject by themselves. As I argued and

proved in this chapter, the OCG audiences found help in The Lion King, an American

family film. In my opinion, this is a very high degree of acceptance.

131
Chapter 4 Mulan: Disney’s Chinese

Heroine

Mulan, as the 36th animated feature in the Disney animated features canon, is its first

film that is based on an ancient Chinese folk tale. This film took 140 million US

dollars and four years to make with more than two thousand people being involved in

the production.235 The team also sent a group of art supervisors to China who brought

back more than 9600 photographs and roughly 48 hours’ video material for as a

source of inspiration to soak up the Chinese culture.236 On 19th June 1998, Mulan

was released in the US. By the end of 1998, it had grossed about 120.6 million US

dollars in the domestic box office, ranking at the second place among all G-rated

releases of the year.

In China, as one of the seven imported Hollywood blockbusters of year 1999,

Mulan made its debut in February. In contrast to its general success across the

foreign markets with a total gross of 183.7 million US dollars, it only took in 11

million yuan (1.3 million US dollars) in the Chinese box office. The “Chinese card”

that Disney played failed to achieve its anticipated effect, at least in China where the

story originates. Compared to The Lion King (41.3 million yuan) and Toy Story (31.8

million yuan), and even Tarzan (11 million yuan) of the same year which was not

235
Fessler, K., ‘Big-budget films raise standard of profitability’, Bloomberg News, Journal Record,
The (Oklahoma City), 22 May. 1998, FindArticles.com.
<http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4182/is_19980522/ai_n10119492> [accessed 01 Feb. 2008].
236
Zhu, H., ‘Disney mianlin tiaozhan (Disney faces challenges)’, Beijing Daily, 04 April. 1999,
Sina.com.cn. <http://news.sina.com.cn/richtalk/news/movie/9904/040311.html> [accessed 01 Feb.
2008].

132
given such anticipation, it can be clearly seen that why Mulan is considered to be a

flop in the Chinese cinema.237

Hollywood’s blockbusters are expected to draw big in the Chinese film market

seen by many Hollywood studios as their rising star. Mulan certainly did not manage

to match such expectation. Why did the Chinese heroine receive a cold shoulder in

her home country? After its release in China, negative reviews and criticisms from

Chinese side came one after another, but none really explored the reception of Mulan

among the Chinese audiences. “It failed to resonate there (China), because the

narrative had been customised for the US,” claimed Ting Wang in Global Hollywood

2. 238 Their arguments basically follow this logic: they assume the cultural

misinterpretation of Disney to the original story lead to unfavourable reception from

the Chinese audiences and unfavourable reception lead to unsatisfactory box office.

So they conclude that the Hollywood adaptation of Chinese cultural elements is the

reason behind Mulan’s box office performance.

There are flaws in the above assumption. First, unsatisfactory box office

performance does not necessarily come from a bad reception. They overlooked the

fact that Mulan is released in China under some very unfavourable conditions which,

as discussed earlier, resulted in a negative impact on its box office performance.

Second, although culture is an importance factor to be considered to analyse the

reception of a film, a cultural difference to the audience origin does not necessarily

cause a negative reception. Of course, if the audiences are shown an apple but told a

pear, they will probably not accept the idea. But the cultural discount in Mulan is by

no means as strong as the apple to pear situation. As will be proved in this chapter,

237
The box office data come from: Box Office Mojo, Mulan,
<http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=mulan.htm> [accessed 01 Feb. 2008] and Rosen,
Stanley.
238
Miller, Toby, et al., Global Hollywood 2 (London: BFI Publishing, 2005), p.322.

133
the difference in cultural presentation of Mulan does not violate the audiences; quite

to the contrary, it is appreciated and favourably received, especially by the OCG

female audiences.

One thing that is significant about Mulan is its female protagonist. The reception

of this film among the OCG, female OCG in particular, is largely related to the

representation of this heroine. To study the reception of Mulan among the OCG, the

chapter will start with the examination of Disney’s reconstruction of this media

image – how the original cultural elements are modified and rearranged to form the

new package. Then, the chapter will set out in search for evidence of audience

relationships with this Disney-encoded image, focusing on the OCG’s, especially the

female OCG’s reception to Mulan, the Disney incarnation of the Chinese heroine.

Drawing from the findings of the reception study, the final part of the chapter will

dig into the depth of the cultural enrichment exemplified in the film and discuss its

implications in audience reception.

Disney’s Reconstruction of Mulan

The story of Mulan, known in Chinese literature as Ode to Mulan or Ballad of Mulan,

was first transcribed in the Musical Records of Old and New in the 6th century AD

and later compiled into the Music Bureau Collection by Guo Maoqian during the 11th

or 12th century. The story is widely believed to happen in Northern Wei Dynasty

during which the empire was under nomadic invasions from Rouran, a Mongolian

confederation.

The story in its original form is told in a very concise manner of wording. With

332 Chinese characters, it tells a story about a woman named Mulan taking her

father’s place to join the army against invaders, during which he disguised herself

134
into a man. At the end of her 12 years’ war time, she turned down the emperor’s title

offer and returned home, very much welcomed and back to her life as a woman. The

following translation of the ode is taken from The Flowering Plum and the Palace

Lady: Interpretations of Chinese Poetry by Hans Frankel of Yale University.239

Ode of Mulan

Tsiek tsiek and again tsiek tsiek,

Mu-lan weaves, facing the door.
You don't hear the shuttle’s sound,
You only hear Daughter’s sighs.
They ask Daughter who’s in her heart,
They ask Daughter who’s on her mind.
“No one is on Daughter’s heart,
No one is on Daughter’s mind.
Last night I saw the draft posters,
The Khan is calling many troops,
The army list is in twelve scrolls,
On every scroll there’s Father’s name.
Father has no grown-up son,
Mu-lan has no elder brother.
I want to buy a saddle and horse,
And serve in the army in Father’s place.”

In the East Market she buys a spirited horse,

In the West Market she buys a saddle,
In the South Market she buys a bridle,
In the North Market she buys a long whip.
At dawn she takes leave of Father and Mother,
In the evening camps on the Yellow River’s bank.
She doesn’t hear the sound of Father and Mother calling,
She only hears the Yellow River’s flowing water cry tsien tsien.

239
Frankel, Hans, The Flowering Plum and the Palace Lady: Interpretations of Chinese Poetry, (Yale
University Press, 1978).

135
At dawn she takes leave of the Yellow River,
In the evening she arrives at Black Mountain.
She doesn’t hear the sound of Father and Mother calling,
She only hears Mount Yen’s nomad horses cry tsiu tsiu.
She goes ten thousand miles on the business of war,
She crosses passes and mountains like flying.
Northern gusts carry the rattle of army pots,
Chilly light shines on iron armour.
Generals die in a hundred battles,
Stout soldiers return after ten years.

On her return she sees the Son of Heaven,

The Son of Heaven sits in the Splendid Hall.
He gives out promotions in twelve ranks
And prizes of a hundred thousand and more.
The Khan asks her what she desires.
“Mu-lan has no use for a minister’s post.
I wish to ride a swift mount
To take me back to my home.”

When Father and Mother hear Daughter is coming

They go outside the wall to meet her, leaning on each other.
When Elder Sister hears Younger Sister is coming
She fixes her rouge, facing the door.
When Little Brother hears Elder Sister is coming
He whets the knife, quick quick, for pig and sheep.
“I open the door to my east chamber,
I sit on my couch in the west room,
I take off my wartime gown
And put on my old-time clothes.”
Facing the window she fixes her cloudlike hair,
Hanging up a mirror she dabs on yellow flower powder
She goes out the door and sees her comrades.
Her comrades are all amazed and perplexed.

136
 Traveling together for twelve years
They didn’t know Mu-lan was a girl.
“The he-hare’s feet go hop and skip,
The she-hare’s eyes are muddled and fuddled.
Two hares running side by side close to the ground,
How can they tell if I am he or she?”

What Frankel offers is a line-by-line interpretation which sticks well to the

original storyline. The story emphasises three things. The first is Mulan’s act to take

her father’s place to join the army. From the lines it can be seem that Mulan make

this decision to protect her father and family spontaneously. The key point here is

“spontaneous”. Mulan did worry (about her father) and ponder (other possibilities),

but she did not struggle. She believed it was the right thing to do, then off she go.

She took the initiative to carry out filial piety, which is highly commendable based

on traditional Chinese values. The second is her being welcomed when she returned

home. The ode described how family members greeted her return in details. Again, it

reinforces that what Mulan had done is good and should be praised. Finally, the ode

amply tells how Mulan turned back into her female appearance and emphasises her

quality as a traditional Chinese woman. The storyline of Ode of Mulan is not an

ordinary one in Chinese folk tale, but what the ode emphasises is ordinary, that is,

the traditional Confucius ideology – filial piety and female virtues.

Disney needed to transform a folk tale that is built around ancient Chinese

ideology into an internationally acceptable modern animation feature. A Chinese

woman dons the disguise of a male soldier and runs away to join the army in an

effort to save her family is not an ordinary storyline. Disney saw the potential from

the storyline, the character and the ancient Chinese background. However, the

original tale was by no means rich enough to fit the big screen – there were

embellishments to do. “The main thing that we wanted was to be honourable to

137
Chinese culture and honourable to the person of Mulan,” said Tony Bancroft, co-

director of the film. “We felt that as long as we were heading in that direction,

embellishing things would be okay.”240

In order to fit into the global market, Disney put a lot of effort in adapting this

Chinese ancient story. Disney made two major embellishments – the story setup,

meaning the characters and storyline, and animation of the both. Starting with the

story setup, Mulan is of course the main character. In the original tale, Mulan went

through her adventure all alone, other characters like family members and comrades

only appeared to the end of the story. In Disney’s opinion, a hero/heroine should not

be lonely; there should be companion(s). From Abu in Aladdin (1992), to Timon and

Pumbaa in The Lion King (1994), Flit and Meeko in Pocahontas (1995), and the

recent Pascal in Tangled (2010), these little creatures had accompanied their friends

through different adventures. This was one of Disney’s set models and was also

applied to Mulan. In the embellished story, Mulan was given two companions,

Mushu and Cri-Kee. Like the other companions, the two fast-paced, mercurial

characters were created to bring crowd-pleasing and hilarious elements into the story.

Of significant modification to the original storyline was the emphasis of Mulan’s

adventure in the army against the intruders by which she managed to bring glory and

honour to her family. In the original ode, only 6 lines were used to describe Mulan’s

war life. Disney created enough allies and opponents to support an encounter-rich

adventure for Mulan, in which romance was also involved. The leader of the invaders,

Shanyu was given a quietly powerful demeanour which was not often seen in

Disney’s bad guys. Mulan and General Lee’s romance fell into another Disney’s set

model – prince and princess.

240
Lyons, Mike, “Mulan: Disney animates the epic folk tale of an ancient warrior woman”,
Cinefantastique, 30(3), July 1998, pp.18-30.

138
 One important character that is often overlooked is Mulan’s granny. In the

personality settings, Mulan was designed to take more after her, the unconventional

member of the family. “She (Granny) speaks her mind and says what she feels,” said

Ruben Aquino, animator of Granny.241 While her mother, Fali, was designed to

represent what Disney understood as the ideal woman-wife-mother of that period.

This setup actually preserved the Chinese traditional woman image represented by

Mulan in the original ode and transferred it to Mulan’s mother in the film. And the

characterisation of Granny made the uniqueness and specialness of Mulan reasonable.

“You feel that, stoically, mom and dad are playing out their roles traditionally, where

Granny somehow cut through a little bit of that.”242

In the film, Mulan is given a very independent and adventurous personality. The

way she talks and behaves is more like an American-styled tomboy. When talking

about the uniqueness of Mulan, Chris Sanders said, “The key to Mulan was the

unique main character and the unique position she’s put in. She’s in a no-win

situation. She dishonours her father taking his place, or she loses him.”243 This was

probably the most important input that made Disney’s Mulan differ the original.

There was no easy choice for Disney’s Mulan who confused, struggled, even

devastated at some point. To make Mulan’s motive for joining the army more

reasonable, Mulan’s father, who in the original story was too old and has no son to

take his place to join the army, was also set up to have an injured leg. Mulan in the

film was no more a woman who spontaneously adhered to the traditional values of

the society. Her embarrassing interview with the match maker had told the audiences

that she was not a traditional girl that the society wanted her to be. “She’s caught in

241
Ibid.
242
Ibid.
243
Ibid.

139
between a lot of things. Caught in between her own feelings and heart, who she

really is versus who society expects her to be,” said Mark Henn, supervising

animator of Mulan.244

Also differed from the original is the revelation of Mulan’s true gender. Instead

of leaving it to the very end, Disney decided to reveal to the audiences that Mulan

was a woman before her final face-to-face battle against Shanyu in the Palace, in

which way Mulan finished the highest part of her journey with the true self. It was

Disney’s effort to praise Mulan as a true, clever and brave woman, not someone in

disguise, not someone who was still unsure about herself. Compare to the original

ode, the film had its real emphasis on feminism.

From the storyline to character setup, Disney aimed to reconstruct a Chinese

heroine whose character and adventure were originated from a Chinese cultural

background and, at the same time, were more reasonable and appealing to the general

audiences. Apparently, serving in the army in his father’s place for 12 years without

struggling was not reasonable. In the reconstruction of Mulan, Disney made its

cultural input. It is the cultural input that imbued the character with a much richer

personality than the Chinese original.

Needless to say, the animation of Mulan was another embellishment that Disney

made to the original text-based story. Production designer Hans Bacher gave two

words to the team about what the film should like – “Poetic simplicity”245 which

greatly influenced almost every aspect of the film’s design. The artists decided to go

without tone mattes which were used in animation to lend shadows and depth to the

character. Going for such a “flat” look was considered a bold and drastic move in

times when most animation works, including those by Disney itself, went for the
244
Ibid.
245
Ibid.

140
more high-tech style. Disney got a lot of inspiration from the work of classic Chinese

artists. “In Chinese art, everything is very balanced. It’s like Yin and Yang. You

have positive and negative space,” said Bacher. Disney wanted to put the story into

an animated environment that made senses, an environment that fit the story. They

wanted something “more spontaneous”. “We fought really hard to prove to them that

we could put these characters on a background with atmosphere and no tone mattes,”

said Ric Sluiter, art director of Mulan.246

Not only did Disney put a lot of efforts in setting the tone of the film but also in

the design of the look of the characters. Disney clearly wanted to make them look

like Chinese, from their physical characteristics to the costumes they wear. It is

arguable whether Disney’s symbolic presentation of the Chinese look is perceived as

beauty in Chinese eyes; it did make believe that they were Chinese characters.

Disney wanted to tell this ancient folk tale to a broader audience of different

cultural backgrounds including that where it originated. They reconfigured Mulan to

make her a heroine that was more lovable and admirable to the modern standard. The

artists and producers knew the importance of adopting proper media to carry and

covey the messages to the audiences, especially for the embellishments they made to

the original texts – things had to work together to work the best. Disney had certainly

hoped the new Mulan would resonate with the Chinese audiences and bring profit to

the table. Unfortunately, Mulan’s money-making mission had largely failed in China.

As discussed in Chapter 1, due to the extreme situation in which Mulan was in

release in the Chinese cinema, its box office performance is not a proper indicator for

the film’s reception. Question as to how Chinese audiences, especially the audiences

that I am concerned with, respond to Disney’s interpretation and representation of

246
Ibid.

141
Mulan is still to be answered. In the next section, the OCG’s reception to Mulan will

be examined.

Who Is that Girl I See

According to non-Chinese resources, the reception of Mulan is mostly positive, with

a 90 per cent “freshness” on Rotten Tomatoes and an average score of 7.9 out of

10.247 IMDB also gives an average of 7.1 out of 10 based on 21,309 votes.248 Stephen

Wong in his review suggested that Mulan is unlike an ordinary Disney style heroine;

she is independent and brave without being overtly glamorous.249 Roger Ebert also

gave Mulan positive comments, saying that “Mulan is an impressive achievement,

with a story and treatment ranking with Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King”.250

There are also positive reviews, although in a small number, from Chinese film

scholars and critics. They accepted that Disney’s understanding of Chinese culture in

Mulan is no longer restrained by the “orientalism” defined by Edward Said and

acknowledged the effort that Disney had put into the production of Mulan, which had

shown its sincerity to understand the Chinese culture in a more equitable way.251 Jian

Qi in his review of Mulan stated that, the Chinese image in Mulan had been

improved comparing to that was found in most western works, which had a positive

influence in promoting Chinese culture and image to the world. 252 He also

247
Rotten Tomatoes, Mulan, <http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/mulan/>[accessed 25 Jan 2008].
248
IMDb, Mulan, <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120762/>[accessed 25 Jan 2008].
249
Wong, S., ‘History? Close enough...’, Entertainment Insiders. (1998),
<http://www.einsiders.com/reviews/archives/mulan.php>[accessed 05 Feb 2008]
250
Ebert, R., ‘Mulan’, Rogerebert.com, 19 June. 1998,
<http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980619/REVIEWS/806190302/1023>
[accessed 05 Feb 2008 ]
251
Li, Y.S., ‘Dangdai donghuapian yishu de wenhua chanshi (Cultural Interpretation of the
Contemporary Animation Film Art)’, Film Art., 03(2001), 87-90 (p.90).
252
Qi, J., ‘Hua Mulan geile women shenme? (What has Mulan given us?)’, The World of Music,
03(1999), 9 (p.9).

142
complimented Mulan’s achievement in using Chinese watercolor painting effect in

the film. “The artwork of Mulan successfully adopted Chinese aesthetics,” he said,

adding “Instead of using the so-called technology to increase the depth of the picture,

Mulan’s use of the Chinese watercolour painting style with concise yet vivid curves,

created a classical and believable ancient Chinese atmosphere.”

In contrast, more negative responses were found in Chinese sources, most of

which regarded the adaptation as improper and criticised its misunderstanding of

Chinese culture and elements as previously discussed. The Chinese magazine

Popular Cinema published its review for Mulan not long after its release, claiming

that the Disney’s interpretation of Chinese culture was superficial and in some sense

unacceptable.253As described in the previous section, in order to reconstruct an

ancient Chinese environment, Disney borrowed a lot of Chinese elements. According

to Linyu Zhou, some of the Chinese elements were not properly used, making it an

inaccurate Chinese image: in the eyes of an American, it might be very Chinese; in

the eyes of a Chinese, it was too American.254 In Mulan, “Jiao zi” (Chinese

dumplings) are barbecued, which the Chinese people have never done. Long

(Chinese dragon), worshipped by the Chinese for thousands of years as the

representation of power and dignity, becomes a lizard-like rap-talking creature.255

The name that Mulan uses in the army, “Ping”, is also considered as an inappropriate

usage by Disney. “Ping”, used in connection with Mulan’s family name “Hua” is a

homophony to the Chinese word that means “vase”. “Some might find these

253
Zhang, R.J., ‘Mulanci: kan donghuapian Hua Mulan (Ode of Mulan: Review of Animation Mulan)’,
Popular Cinema, 08(1999), 15 (p.15).
254
Zhou, L.Y., “The Cultural Identity Rewriting of ‘the Other’ by Disney’s Production Formula in
Animated Feature Mulan”, Journal of Sichuan International Studies University, 05(2006), 62-65
(p.64).
255
Zhou, F., ‘Meiguo Hua Mulan zai zhongguo canbai (American Mulan met its Waterloo in China)’,
Guangzhou Daily, 18 May, 1999. Sina.com.cn.< http://eladies.sina.com.cn/movie/movie/1999-05-
18/1180.shtml>[accessed 01 Feb. 2008].

143
elements to be amusing but others might feel uncomfortable,” claimed Lin, a Chinese

film critic.256

The traditional Chinese regard Mulan as a heroine because she represents their

most cherished personality of being “xiaoshun” (filial piety) which, in contemporary

Chinese culture, is explained as the attitude of being respectful, thankful and caring

to the elder family members. According to the work by Zhixi Qin and Jing Huo, the

Disney version of Mulan weakened her “xiaoshun” and redefined Mulan as an

American icon of individualism and feminism. It was not a bad story, nor the one

that the Chinese audience had expected to see.257Also criticised is Disney’s romance

element added to the film. Love story is usually absent in Chinese animated films.258

Disney has the tradition of telling love stories of princesses, and Mulan has been

made into another Disney-type princess. The romance made it a bit too far from what

Mulan should be in the eyes of most Chinese audience – a traditional Chinese

woman with self-restraint.259

To sum up, in the eyes of the above mentioned Chinese scholars and film critics,

in Disney’s adaptation, the original Chinese culture of the story had been chopped up

and displaced with Disney’s crowd-pleasing elements such as love story, humorous

animal characters and etc. Although the hybrid culture may lead to a better

acceptance of the audiences who are not familiar with Chinese culture, the “Disney-

ised” version of Mulan failed to appeal to the Chinese audiences. As discussed at the

256
Lin, D.R., ‘Tan donghuapian Hua Mulan de xieyin wenti (The homonym problem in Mulan)’,
Rhetoric Learning, 06(1999), 8 (p.8).
257
Qin, Z.X. and Huo, J., ‘Cong Disney Hua Mulan kan quanqiuhua yujing xia de kuawenhua
chuanbo (Thinking of the Transcultural Communication in the Globalization Context from Disney’s
Mulan)’, Contemporary Communications, 02(2002), 24-27 (p.24-25).
258
Ding, L.F., “Qiantan aiqing zai guochan donghuapian zhong de quexi (The Absence of ‘Love Story’
in Domestic Animation Film)”, Chinese TV, 01(2001), 12-14 (p.12).
259
Li, S.Y., ‘Wenhua jiedu Mulanci yu Disney Mulan (Cultural Analysis of the difference between
Ode of Mulan and Disney’s Mulan)’, Journal of Huaibei Coal Industry Teachers' College (Philosophy
and Social Sciences), 04(2006), 134-135 (p.135).

144
beginning of this chapter, such arguments are flawed. Also taking into consideration

of the tension between China and the US at the time, these reviews and criticism

contained, more or less, a sense of playing up to the political agenda of Chinese

government. Nevertheless, the above views still represent part of the film’s reception

in China; however, in this study, I am more concerned with the audience groups who

do not have such bias and their relationships to the film.

As a Hollywood family film, one important audience group that Mulan tries to

engage with is the children. The Chinese children who had seen the film could easily

recognize the differences between Disney’s Mulan and what they learned from the

textbooks but they seems to accept the difference quite well.260 In Fanghua Du’s

composition titled My Desk-mate ‘Hua Mulan’, he metaphorically referred to his

classmate to whom he shared a desk with as ‘Mulan’. Du’s description to his tomboy

school friend seems to agree to Disney’s definition of Mulan more than to the

original one.261 In the work of Zongyu Li etc, Mulan was used as an example of

divergent thinking in child education.262 In the “Mulan Theme Activities” they

organized, children were encouraged to express their understanding of Mulan based

on their appreciation of the film.

The above example shows that, not only there were Chinese audiences who

accepted the Disney’s interpretation of Mulan, but also audiences who applied the

messages they received from the film to their real life. Student Du made connection

between the fictional Mulan character and his real-life friend. The Chinese teachers

mentioned above also considered that the film presented something of constructive

260
Zhou, Y.X., “Miaoyin huoshui ru gushi Hua Mulan jiaoxue pianduan (A Report of teaching ‘Ode
of Mulan’)”, Language Planning, 03(2005), 40 (p.40).
261
Du, F.H., “Wo de tongzhuo Hua Mulan (My Deskmate ‘Hua Mulan’)”, Yuwen tiandi (Chinese
World), 04(2005), 34 (p.34).
262
Li, Z.Y., Bian, X. and Ying, Q., “Hua Mulan zhuti huodong de sheji yu shishi (The Design and
Implementation of ‘Mulan Theme Activities’”), Children Education, 11(2006), 6-7(p.6).

145
use in education. Although these pieces of evidence of audience relationships with

Mulan are not obtained from the OCG, they at least show that cultural differences do

not necessarily result in negative reception from Chinese audiences. For the rest of

the section, evidence obtained from the OCG, especially from the female audiences

of the OCG, will be examined to study their reception to the film Mulan.

In OCG’s writing about Mulan, there are many occurrences of one particular

object in the film, that is, one of the film’s original soundtracks, the song Reflection

performed by Lea Salonga. The soundtracks received very positive responses from

Chinese audiences. On Douban, over 78 per cent of audiences would recommend the

album.263 Many of them specifically mentioned Reflection which sings,

Look at me
I will never pass for a perfect bride
Or a perfect daughter
Can it be I’m not meant to play this part?
Now I see that if I were truly to be myself
I would break my family’s heart

Who is that girl I see

Staring straight back at me?
Why is my reflection someone I don’t know?
Somehow I cannot hide who I am
Though I’ve tried
When will my reflection show who I am inside?

In the film, Mulan sang the song when returned home after failing an embarrassing

interview with the match-maker, frustrated for not being able to match the

expectation of her family. The song precisely corresponded to the state of mind of

the OCG females. From line to line, the song reminds them what their family and the

263
Douban, Mulan OST, <http://music.douban.com/subject/2156006/collections?start=60> [accessed
30 July 2011].

146
society expect them to be and exactly how they feel about it. Many texts written by

female audiences about this song mentioned “emotional”, “moving”, “a song for

us”.264 In the film, the song expressed Mulan’s struggle when she found herself

caught in between what she really want to be and what the others want her to be. As

discussed in Chapter 2, it is also one of the frustrations for the OCG females. This

similarity in life experience generated an emotional correspondence between the

audiences and the protagonist.

On Mtime, one of China’s biggest online movie fan community, a female OCG

audience wrote her own review of Mulan titled Zhen Qing de Zi Wo, the name of the

Chinese version of the song. In her review which should probably be better described

as her emotion and feeling about the Mulan character, she saw Mulan as a role model

who pursued her true self. While considering Mulan as an inspiration, she also

expressed her feeling powerless to change. She wrote,

“During our growing up, we’ve spent too much time doing things that we’re

not interested in at all; however, I doubt I have to courage to do what Mulan

did, to go for myself, especially in the current education system.”265

Another female OCG audience agreed and wrote in reply,

“Well said! Mulan is the role model who breaks the shackle of tradition. I

feel somewhere in my mind live a girl like her. I dislike the traditional way of

my life, really want to break away. But like you said, it needs a great deal of

264
Ibid.
265
Mtime, Zhenqing de ziwo (Reflection), <http://i.mtime.com/963122/blog/1550173/ > [accessed 30
July 2011].

147
 courage. … Born here, grown up here, it seems that I’m too traditional

anyway.”266

This was a typical reaction from the female OCG audiences: they received the

Mulan image, approved her rightfulness, felt sympathy for her and introspected

themselves. However, they perceived Mulan’s experience as ideal and difficult to

realise in their life. In both of the above two pieces of texts, “courage” is mentioned.

It is what they admire Mulan of and also what they feel they are lack of. Although

the resonation was not strong enough to have immediate influence on their behaviour,

it certainly did make them think about their own life. This level of reception was

only observed from the female audiences. The male audiences, on the other side,

were found to be distracted by other elements of the film. In reply to the above post

on Mtime, a male OCG audience wrote,

“What impressed me the most was the little dragon, Mushu. I think I watched

the film solely for fun. I admire your deep thought into the film.”267

The lack of evidence about the Mulan character from male OCG audiences and the

above texts shows that the male audience relationship with the film differs from that

of the female. The male OCG audiences were more likely to be attracted to the action

and humorous part of the film. Being constrained within two positions of their

gender difference, male and female audiences could easily give different reception to

certain messages from the media.

A female OCG compared Mulan with the other Disney’s princess and wrote,

266
Ibid.
267
Ibid.

148
 “Mulan is the kind of girl that I can like without any jealousy.”268

What is shown by the above texts is true adoration. For the OCG females, their

intimacy with Mulan not only came from the similar experience they shared, but also

because Mulan represented their ideal self, which is why tomboy characters like

Mulan are rarely found in Chinese children’s films that they used to see. Most female

protagonists in Chinese children’s films are found to be well-behaved and have the

attributes of being a good girl. Yongli in Flowers of the Motherland (Zu Guo De Hua

Duo, 1955), Ximeizi in Children of the Red Army (Hong Hai Zi, 1958), Xiaojia in

Little Wooden Head (Xiao Ling Dang, 1963) and Yingzi in My Memory of Old

Beijing (Cheng Nan Jiu Shi, 1983) all have the similar characteristics.269 The

problem is that, what is “well-behaved” or what is “being a good girl” is defined by

the society. The OCG females know it is what the society wants them to be, but

unfortunately, it is not what they want to be. These female characters failed to

generate an emotional connection with the female OCG audiences like Mulan did.

Mulan is also a heroine. In Chinese films, heroines often appear as propaganda

images, emphasising their scarification for the country. A female OCG audience

wrote when comparing Mulan with these heroines,

“Mulan is a real woman, a real heroine. Unlike those in Chinese

(propaganda) films, she has feelings.”270

268
Douban, Tayi wuning shengshang de fangshi zuodao le zuida de xiaoshun (She achieved the
ultimate filial piety by disobeying the emperor), <http://movie.douban.com/review/2612563/>
[accessed 30 July 2011].
269
Zhang, Z.L., ‘AppendixⅡ: Zhongguo shaonian ertong dianying jingdian xingxiang (The Classical
Images of Chinese Children’s Film)’, Zhongguo shaonian ertong dianying shilun (Historical Study of
Chinese Children’s Film) (Beijing: Chinese Film Bress, 2005), pp.278-283.
270
Douban, Mulan, <http://movie.douban.com/subject/1294833/> [accessed 30 July 2011].

149
Many also mentioned Mulan’s romance with General Lee, they liked this addition

made by Disney to the original folk tale. In their opinion, Mulan deserved love. It

only made the heroine more lovable.

In the texts made by female OCG audiences, the most frequently used

meaningful words are all related to emotions and one of them is “moved”. They

recalled two scenes in the film as being the most moving ones. One is the scene in

which Mulan cut her hair before donning her father’s armour and running away to

join the army. The other one is when Mulan got expelled after her ruse failed. These

two scenes correspond to two emotional transitions that the OCG females have also

experienced in their own life. In the film, the first scene happened after Mulan’s first

“reflection” (introspection), a moment in which Mulan’s social position was about to

change. As described by Eliot Schrefer, it is “a moment when acceleration in one

direction slows to a standstill before the direction is reversed.”271 When Mulan cut

her hair, she had made her decision to give up one direction and to for another. It is

where the acceleration to the new direction happens. It had happened to the OCG

females as well. Hair cutting represents Mulan’s abandonment of her female identity.

As the only child in their family, the OCG females had to, in a way, do the same as

what Mulan did. They had to accept the responsibilities to take care of their family

like a man. In the second scene, Mulan made her introspection for the second time.

Mulan made her decision to go for this direction, but was it what she really wanted?

The OCG females would ask themselves the same question. The decision had been

made, but the struggling in their mind still existed. Such struggling characterised the

OCG females’ social position just like where Mulan found herself in the film. The

difference was, in the film, in an ideal world, Mulan finally decided to live for
271
Schrefer, Eliot, “Donning her father’s armor: introspection and gender disjunction in Disney’s
Mulan”, Animation Journal, 10(2002), p.9.

150
herself and was approved by her family and the society; in real life, the OCG females

deemed it as unable to achieve.

The evidence obtained from female OCG audiences demonstrated their

emotional relationships with the film Mulan. The embellishments that Disney made

to enrich the Mulan character fit into the OCG females’ experience and their position

in the society, generating emotional correspondences between the audiences and the

character, which could be hardly achieved by the original Mulan character in the folk

tale. Disney successfully delivered their version of Mulan, their understanding to this

ancient Chinese heroine, to the female OCG audiences – the message was well

received. In response to the message, the OCG females incorporated their own

sophistication generated during their social process of emergence which was why

they deemed the message as ideal but not something achievable in reality.

Cultural Enrichment and its Implications in Reception

What Disney embellished in their reconstruction of the Mulan image can be best

described as “cultural enrichment”. Unlike the “cultural discount” resulted from the

so-called “cultural barrier” to which its box office disappointment is often attributed,

it can be justified by the reception of the OCG to the film.

In Disney’s decoding and encoding of this ancient Chinese folk tale, traditional

Chinese values are honourably displayed. These values are preserved in different

supporting characters that Disney has carefully designed. For example, the Mother

character is a true embodiment of the woman-wife-mother of that period. By doing

this, Disney lays out an honest presentation of the social environment of ancient

China, a believable stage for the story to happen. As to the main character Mulan, it

is undoubtedly different to that told by the original ode and is where Disney’s

151
cultural input happens. What Disney needs is to present a heroine to the audiences, a

heroine that matches the contemporary values. It does differ from the ancient

Chinese values, but it is not being dishonourable to the person of Mulan. What

Mulan did does not really matter. What matters is that she did something

extraordinary, something people should admire her of. What matters even more is

her spirit, her bravery – Disney did not change any of that. The confusion, the

struggling and the romance that Disney injected into the character has enriched her

personality, making her a more believable, lovable and admirable person to the

contemporary film audiences.

Disney’s cultural enrichment in the case of Mulan is well received by the OCG,

especially the females of the OCG. The OCG is by no means traditional. This is not

to say that they received no imprint from the Chinese traditional values and ideology.

Quite to the contrary, in their social process of emerging as a unique generation, they

have to intake and digest a lot of the indigenous ideas and beliefs. The cultural

legacy is passed down generation by generation from their ancestors and is in every

part of their life, the textbooks they read, the films they watch, the food they eat, the

air they breathe. But unlike their parental generation who suffered from a society that

was closed to the outside world, they grew up in an opening up era, an era in which

all sorts of new things keep flowing into their life. From time to time they get

something new to add to their systems. From time to time they have to let something

slip. The society is the same. The whole of their growing up is a process of

redefining and retuning themselves. As long as it does not violate their fundamental

beliefs, addition or alteration to what they used to know is perfectly fine. They are

culturally flexible – it is how they are built by the society. Being flexible does not

mean they are indifferent or unconcerned. The OCG females’ reception to Mulan

152
exemplifies that they have their judgement and dare to appreciate something that

others despise.

Perhaps Chinese film producers saw the appeal of cultural enrichment to the

audiences presented in Mulan, despite of all the negative opinions that flooded the

film’s reviews. In 2004, Shanghai Animation Film Studio in cooperation with

Taiwan Central Motion Pictures Corporation produced the film The Butterfly Lovers

which is also based on an ancient Chinese folk tale. The story is about the tragic

romance between Yingtai and Shanbo. Yingtai, the female protagonist, has

something in common with Mulan. She also had to disguise herself into a man to do

something that woman was not allowed to do at the time – education. The Butterfly

Lovers is considered by some Chinese film researchers as an example of Chinese

animation films that learns from Mulan.272 The modelling of Yingtai looks a lot like

Disney’s Mulan. The narrative of the film also emphasised Yingtai, the female

protagonist, while in the original story both of them were of the same importance.

Similarity in music usage was also observed.273 Before The Butterfly Lovers, the

emphasis of female protagonists or romantic storylines had never been found in

Chinese animated films because it was considered inappropriate for the young

audiences like children.

One culture borrowing ideas from another is not a rare occurrence. If cultural

barrier is such a serious problem for the Chinese audiences, it is probably very hard

to understand the motivation behind China’s localisation of High School Musical, or

to explain the popularity of the martial art panda named Po in Kong Fu Panda (2008).

272
Zhu, M.Q. and Li, B., ‘Xiang xifang weizao de dongfang nvxing ——Ping Zhongguo donghuapian
(Fake Oriental Female Protagonist from Western Culture: A Review of Chinese Animation Film)’,
Journal of Kangding Nationality Teachers College, 05(2006), 68-71 (p.69-70).
273
Lu, J.Y., ‘Donghuapian Liangzhu Hua Mulan gaibian duibi (Comparison of the Adaption of Mulan
and The Butterfly Lovers)’, Fujian Arts, 04(2005), 47-49 (p.49).

153
Entertainment often requires novelty, and the novelty has to be delivered to the

audiences. Pure novelty in entertainment can be intimidating without a certain level

of intimacy with the audiences. From Mulan, to Kong Fu Panda and High School

Musical China, different cultures have been enriching each other and generating both

cultural novelty and cultural intimacy.

Disney’s Mulan was not the first, certainly not the only, film version of the tale.

The character and tale of Mulan evolved in Chinese cinema as well. The first notable

example is Mulan Joins the Army. The film was released in 1939 in Japanese-

occupied Shanghai. Clearly suggested by its title, the film carried political messages

that could be easily conveyed to the audiences who lived at a turbulent time in the

nation’s history. After the Communist Party took power, a state funded Honan-opera

film, Hua Mulan was released in 1956. This time, the film emphasised gender equity

which corresponded to the egalitarian gender policy put forward by the government.

In 1963, Shaw Brothers Studio in Hong Kong presented The Lady General Hua

Mulan, in which the movie producers gave the overseas Chinese audiences, many of

whom were fugitives of the communist-controlled country, a vision of a unified

China. The most recent version of the story is Hong Kong director Jingle Ma’s

Mulan (2009). On the outside, it is an action film with a touch of romance. On the

inside, it emphasised the cruelty of war which played up to “harmony”, the new

propaganda slogan of the Chinese government.

Each of these versions interpreted the tale of Mulan differently. But all of them

did the same thing – to inject into the film their own messages to the audiences. The

audiences are changing. Films, as the carriers of the messages, the media between the

messages and the audiences, also need to change. Honan-opera may work for the

audiences in the 1950s but probably hardly for the OCG. It is not just about the

154
artistic form. Narrative, characters, music, costumes – everything about films matters.

For the world’s messages to be successfully conveyed to the audiences, proper media

have to be used. Looking back in time to the evolvement of Mulan in the Chinese

cinema, it is all about enriching the original tale based on the current cultural and

social context.

Presented in this chapter is the reception study of Disney’s animation feature Mulan.

Evidence about the OCG audience relationships with the film was collected and

analysed. Unlike what was suggested by the negative Chinese reviews, the film was

in fact well received among the OCG audiences, especially the OCG females. The

embellishment that Disney made to the person of Mulan happened to resonate with

the OCG females’ life experience and social position.

155
Chapter 5 Harry Potter: Tailored

Education vs. Mass Education

One day this August, in a screening room of China Science & Technology Museum

Cinema, the final episode of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows had just ended.

Right before any audiences managed to get out of the cinema, a young man went

onto the stage, grabbed the microphone and said, “Hello, everybody! I assume we’re

all Harry Potter fans. I am and so is my girlfriend. Today, I’m here to ask her to

marry me!” He opened his Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince book, the ring

was hidden before page 236, the first page of Chapter 15 – The Unbreakable Vow.274

Harry Potter film saga had finally come to an end in 2011. Starting from its first

novel release in China, over the course of more than a decade, Harry Potter franchise

had been with the OCG for a good third of their life. Both of the books and the films

series are considered commercially successful in China. A huge fandom exists in the

OCG. This case study sets out to examine the relationships between the OCG and the

Harry Potter franchise, coving the novels, film industry performance and OCG’s

reception to the films. By doing this, the chapter aims to reveal the special

connection that the OCG made with Harry Potter and the reason behind it.

274
Wang, Jingjing, “Wode pengyou hali bote (My friend Harry Potter)”, China Youth Daily, 10
August 2011, p.10.

156
Reading Harry Potter in Urban China

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the first book of Harry Potter novel series,

was published by Bloomsbury in the United Kingdom in June 1997. But it was not

until October 2000 that the Chinese version of this book together with the second and

the third book of the series was released in China. In November 2000, the English

versions of the first four books were imported to China all together. After year 2000,

the Chinese translated versions had gradually caught up with the novels’ publishing

in the UK by reducing the gap to three months from the fifth book and onwards, and

the release of the English versions in China had been synchronous to that in the UK,

which is shown in the table below.

Table 1. Release dates of Harry Potter novels in UK and China275

China China
Book Title UK (Chinese (English
version) version)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Jun 1997 Oct 2000 Nov 2000
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Jul 1998 Oct 2000 Nov 2000
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Sep 1999 Oct 2000 Nov 2000
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Jul 2000 May 2001 Nov 2000
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Jun 2003 Sep 2003 Jun 2003
Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince Jul 2005 Oct 2005 Jul 2005
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Jul 2007 Oct 2007 Jul 2007

Before Harry Potter came to China, the novels had already established their

worldwide popularity. The competition for the right of publishing its translated

versions in China was foreseeably intense. At last, People’s Literature Publishing

House (PLPH), as a state-owned publisher with 50-year experience and good

reputation in publishing Western literature, stood out from many strong competitors

275
Dates for UK release are from Bloomsbury website, dates for China release are obtained from
PLPH.

157
including China Children’s Publishing, Shanghai Children’s Publishing and Yilin

Publishing276.

In fact, as early as July 2000, news reports of Harry Potter had already appeared

in Chinese media before its debut. Guangming Daily first introduced Harry Potter to

the Chinese readers in its 14th July issue followed by the translated reprint of

Newsweek’s exclusive interview with J.K. Rowling, the author.277 In August, China

Book Business Report published a summary of Harry Potter reviews from worldwide,

including both positive and negative points, and raised a question as to whether or

not Harry Potter should be recognized as literature of high standard.278 In September,

Wen Hui Bao of Shanghai published its own review of the novel, in which it pointed

out that Harry Potter would remind the readers of many Chinese novels about school

life.279 With the Chinese versions of Harry Potter finally arrived at Chinese

bookstores, reports and discussions about it started to become even more heated.

“Translated into 35 different languages, published in 115 countries and regions with

a total of 35 million copies sold and revenue of 480 million US dollars”280 is the set

of numbers that appeared many times in these reports. “Harry Potter” had definitely

become one of the hottest keywords in Chinese media of that year.

People’s Literature Publishing House put in a great deal of effort to promote

Harry Potter to Chinese readers. The publisher adopted a very polished finish for the

print and added a specially designed bookmark inside each of the books as a gift. The

276
A Nanjing based publishing press that focuses on translating and publishing foreign works of
literature. It is one of the most influential professional translation press in China.
277
Xiao, Y. translated, ‘Ha Li Bo Te Zuo Zhe Luo Lin Fang Tan Lu’ (An interview with J.K.
Rowling), Guangming Daily, 21 Jul. 2000, p.C02.
278
Anon., ‘Ha Li Bo Te Shi Jing Dian Zhi Zuo Ma?’ (Is Harry Potter work of classics?), China Book
Business Report, 25 Aug. 2000, p. 035.
279
Mu, M., ‘Mo Huan + Chuan Tong + Xian Shi = “Ha Li Bo Te”’ (Fantasy + tradition + reality =
Harry Potter), Wen Hui Bao, 2 Sep. 2000, p. 006.
280
Anon., ‘Ha Li Bo Te Rang Shi Jie Feng Kuang’ (The Harry Potter that the world is crazy about),
China Business, 7 Nov. 2000, p. 003.

158
first print of the first three books produced a total of 600,000 copies, which hit a

record high in the history of the publishing house.281 At 10 o’clock on 6th October

2000 which was during the long national holiday break, the Chinese version of the

first three books released as a box set were finally made available across 300

bookstores in 20 major cities nationwide.282 At the same time, online purchasing of

Harry Potter was also made available at Book800, Dangdang and Joyo. In the

advertisement which could be found at almost every bookstore that was selling these

box sets, Harry Potter was described as “suitable for readers from age 9 to 99”283

and “a wizard that will jump out of your schoolbag”284. At Xinhua Bookstore located

at Wangfujing in Beijing, one of the busiest bookstores in China, People’s Literature

Publishing House held the publication ceremony and invited professional performers

from China Children’s Art Theatre to play some of the characters from Harry Potter,

all of whom were dressed up as described in the novels. During the ceremony, free

gifts, such as stationeries featured with Harry Potter images, were given away to the

customers.

The sale of the Chinese versions of Harry Potter was remarkable. By 10th

October 2000, online bookstore Book800 had already sold 1000 sets of the first three

books.285 Also as online bookstores, Dangdang and Joyo were selling about 50 sets a

day.286 By 20th October 2000, which was two weeks after the release, the 600,000

copies of the first print had almost sold out with only about 6,000 left on the

281
Yan, W., ‘Ha Li Bo Te Hui Bu Hui Shui Tu Bu Fu?’ (Will Harry Potter adapt to Chinese market?),
China Business Times, 18 Oct. 2000, p. A08.
282
Ibid.
283
Guo, X. H., ‘Zou Jin Ha Li Bo Te De Shen Chu’ (Go deep into Harry Potter), China Press and
Publishing Journal, 24 Nov. 2000, p. 006.
284
Yang, J., ‘Ha Li Bo Te: Xin Shu Shang Shi San Ba Huo’ (Harry Potter: New arrival), China
Publishing Journal, 12(2000), 121 (p.121).
285
Yu, H. M., ‘Ha Li Bo Te Mo Li Wu Bian’ (Harry Potter full of Magic), China Book Business
Report, 20 Oct. 2000, p. 004.
286
Ibid.

159
shelves.287 Meanwhile, Harry Potter had topped almost every bestselling chart under

the category of children’s book of the major high-street and online bookstores.

Compared to the sale of its Chinese versions in China, the sale of the English

versions had not been as good because they were more expensive and had a limited

group of potential readers. However, the English versions still had their market in

China, which was mostly formed by the demand from students and their parents. One

month after the release of the Chinese versions, China International Book Trading

Corporation imported the original UK versions of the first four books. Compared to

the Chinese version book set which only cost 63 yuan in total, the UK versions of the

first three books were sold for from 130 to 140 yuan each and the fourth was from

280 to 300 yuan depending on store pricing.288 In December 2000, Beijing

Publication Import & Export Corporation imported the US versions of the first three

books which were sold at a much lower price for 58 yuan each and were only

available in Beijing Foreign Language Bookstore. By October 2001, the imported

first 1,000 copies of the US versions had been sold out. At the same time, the UK

versions had sold about 300 copies at Wangfujing Xinhua Bookstore.289 The English

versions of Harry Potter were only available in major cities such as Beijing and

Shanghai. According to the bookstores, those who purchased the English versions

were mostly high school and university students.290

It did not take long before the first 600,000 copies of Chinese version Harry

Potter were sold out. On 9th November 2000, to bring the promotion and publicity to

another level, PLPH organized a forum for Harry Potter in Shanghai allowing

287
Ibid.
288
Anon., ‘Ying Wen Ban Ha Li Bo Te Re Le!’ (The English version of Harry Potter books sell fast!),
Yi Wen Wang, 22 Oct. 2001, <http://www.ewen.cc/books/bkview.asp?bkid=7121&cid=12027>
[accessed 26 Jan. 2010].
289
Ibid.
290
Ibid.

160
discussions from different perspectives.291 Those who were invited to the forum

included writers of children’s literature, literature critics and even cultural celebrities.

Xiaosong Gao, a famous pop song writer and a pioneer of university culture, pointed

out that, “reading Harry Potter is like watching motion pictures”, “there is

Hollywood techniques of motion pictures in the writing” and “they (the books) have

strong appeal to youngsters who grew up watching television and Hollywood

blockbusters”292. The power of imagination represented in Harry Potter was also

complimented. Peng Yang, a well-known writer of children’s literature, acclaimed

that “the success of Harry Potter is the victory of imagination”293. Da Lei, an

influential literature critic in China, believed that “the fantasies provided in Harry

Potter are valuable complement to Chinese children’s literature (which is mostly

documentary and realistic)”294. The educational significance of Harry Potter and its

difference to Chinese children’s literature were also recognized. Professor Quangen

Wang from Beijing Normal University said that “the way Harry Potter teaches

children love and goodness should be learnt by Chinese children’s literature”295. He

claimed that, instead of moralizing our children what not to do, we should try to

show them what is right in a way that can be more easily accepted by them. It was

also pointed out by some that the use of modern elements in Harry Potter infused

new vigour to a traditional theme, which was also considered to be what Chinese

children’s literature lacked.

291
Lu, M., ‘Ha Li Bo Te Gei Zhong Guo Er Tong Wen Xue De Qi Shi’ (Inspiration of Harry Potter to
Chinese children’s literature), Wen Xue Bao (Literature News), 23 Nov. 2000, p. 001.
292
Anon., ‘Hai Zi Yin Ling Le Wo Men’ (Leaded by the chidren), Guangming Daily, 23 Nov. 2000,
p.C01.
293
Ibid.
294
Ibid.
295
Ibid.

161
 Besides the reviews from the critics, writers and celebrities, discussions among

the general readers were also very heated. According to a report of China Publishing

Journal, PLPH targeted young readers of ages nine to eighteen as their focus of the

publicity, which explains the popularity of Harry Potter in schools. A student from

Beijing No.2 Middle School said, “I can see broomsticks flying when I turn off the

light and close my eyes. I wish I could receive an admission to Hogwards one

day!”296 Middle school student Yang Zhang said that Harry Potter let him know the

pleasure of reading literature, which he had never experienced before.297 When asked

by a reporter about what he thought about Harry Potter, Tao, a twelve years old

school boy, said that he liked the story of school lives, which was friendly and was

also different because of the magic.298 In the opinion of Muran, a school girl aged

eleven, the story of Harry Potter was fascinating and exciting, which always brought

about pictures in her mind. She often imagined herself as Harry, Ron or Hermione.

She also said that no book had ever attracted her as much as Harry Potter.299

Both experts and young readers had pointed out that Harry Potter had better

appeal than what Chinese children’s literature could offer for their readers. As a

matter of fact, there are over 130 publishers in China that are able to publish

children’s books; more than 30 of them are specialized in children’s book publishing.

More than 6000 new titles are made available to Chinese children by them every year.

But most of these books were reference books for schoolwork and those of

296
Anon., ‘Ha Li Bo Te Rang Shi Jie Feng Kuang’ (The Harry Potter that the world is crazy about),
China Business, 7 Nov. 2000, p. 003.
297
Anon., ‘Hai Zi Yin Ling Le Wo Men’ (Leaded by the chidren), Guangming Daily, 23 Nov. 2000,
p.C01.
298
Yu, H. M., ‘Ha Li Bo Te Mo Li Wu Bian’ (Harry Potter full of Magic), China Book Business
Report, 20 Oct. 2000, p. 004.
299
Ibid.

162
intellectual topics to help students to acquire knowledge. 300 Among the very limited

titles of children’s literature, there were some Western works, such as Anderson’s

and Grimm’s fairy tale collections. As for contemporary Chinese children’s literature,

only a few of them could be considered to have some level of influence, such as

Pipilu and Luxixi and The Adventure of Shuke and Beita by Yuanjie Zheng and Boy

Student Jia Li and Girl Student Jia Mei by Wenjun Qin. There were also some story

books about famous characters in Chinese legend, such as Monkey King and Nezha,

but these stories were based on ancient Chinese novels that were not originally

written for children.

Seeing the advantage of Harry Potter novel series in China, PLPH was not

satisfied by just selling the novel itself and started to treat ‘Harry Potter’ as a

business brand. In September 2001, the Chinese version of Fantastic Beasts and

Where to Find Them (a required textbook for first-year Hogwarts students) and

Quidditch Through the Ages (Harry Potter’s favourite book) which were also written

by J. K. Rowling were released in China only six months after their debut in the

UK.301 Although the earnings of both the Chinese version and the English version of

these two books went directly to support poor children around the world as a charity

activity of Comic Relief, the importation of these two books by PLPH was still

considered to be the initial step of developing merchandising on ‘Harry Potter’ brand

in China.

The novel’s appeal to children and its remarkable sales record in the book

market made Chinese people start to reflect on the influence that Harry Potter had on

education. Following all the positive reviews, Shenzhen Economic Daily published

300
Gao, Y. J., ‘Ying Guo Ma Gua Jin Lai Zhong Shuo Fen Yun’ (The discussion introduced by Harry
Potter), Sichuan Daily, 21 Nov. 2000, P. 005.
301
Li, S. L., ‘Ha Li Bo Te Yan Sheng Xin Du Wu’ (New arrivals of Harry Potter related books),
China Reading Weekly, 29 Aug. 2001, p. 001.

163
an article on 7th January 2001, questioning the negative influence that Harry Potter

might have on children.302 The writer, by referring to an article of New York Post

which reported that Harry Potter had popped up on a list of books people would

most like to see banned from libraries and had been complained by some American

parents for its disturbing contents, claimed that the novels were only a success of the

publishing business and may not be suitable for Chinese children as well because

they might get lost in the unreal world of witches and wizards. However, opposing

this only negative review at that time, there were vast comments and opinions that

highlighted the imagination as an advantage of Harry Potter which brought

inspiration to children’s education in China. When Harry Potter was released in

China, a mother said when being interviewed that she had been waiting for an

excellent book like this for her child for a long time and that reading it stimulated the

imagination of both her child and herself.303 Yufeng Huang, a middle school teacher

of Chinese language and literature believed that Harry Potter, as a great work of

literature, challenged the existing materials that they provided the student to read in

class which lacked of the spirit of creativity and imagination.304 On 20th November

2001, Workers’ Daily published a commentary titled The Inspiration of Harry Potter

emphasized the influence that Harry Potter might have on Chinese children

education. Again, imagination, which was well illustrated by Harry Potter, was

claimed to be the most effective way to attract children to read, to think and to learn

actively by themselves.305

302
Xiao, X. L., ‘Su Xiu De Ha Li Bo Te’ (Harry Potter did not last long), Shenzhen Economic Daily, 7
Jan. 2001, p. B04.
303
Anon., ‘Hai Zi Yin Ling Le Wo Men’ (Leaded by the chidren), Guangming Daily, 23 Nov. 2000,
p.C01.
304
Xing, X. F., ‘Ha Li Bo Te Dai Lai Chong Ji Bo’ (The shock wave produced by Harry Potter),
Wenhui News, 18 Nov. 2000, p. 003.
305
Zhang, J. R., ‘Ha Li Bo Te Dai Gei Wo Man De Qi Shi’ (The inspiration of Harry Potter), Workers’
Daily, 20 Nov. 2001, p. 003.

164
 To sum up, both the sales achievement of the novel series in the Chinese book

market and the widespread concerns about the books from the society showed that

Harry Potter had become a very influential Western product in China. It is worth

noting that, as an imported Western popular novel series, it brought about reflection

and introspection of the Chinese on their children’s literature and even their

education for the young generation, which was not a common occurrence. Being

considered to have a strong appeal to Chinese people who grew up watching

television and Hollywood blockbusters and, being regarded by the young readers as a

novel that no previous ones could match had both shown that Harry Potter had well

engaged with the Chinese young generation. Full of imagination, the content that

Harry Potter provided satisfied the youngsters’ craving for creative and innovative

things. Apart from being an enjoyable reading experience, the novel’s English

version also made an excellent resource for learning English language. All these

made the Chinese young generation engage with the novel readily. The success and

influence of “Harry Potter” in China did not stop here. From the moment that Warner

Bros. decided to put it on the screen, “Harry Potter”, which was not just a series of

novels but was more reasonable to be considered as a merchandising brand, was

bound to extend its success and influence in China to a new level.

Harry Potter Films in Chinese Market

Considering “Harry Potter” as business of great potential, in the autumn of year 2001,

People’s Literature Publishing House (PLPH) promptly approached Warner Bros.

Company to acquire the exclusive right to develop products of Harry Potter films in

China, even before the first films of the series was released worldwide. The deal was

made on 1 October of the same year, by which PLPH is entitled to produce and sell

165
printing merchandise containing concept arts, characters and scenes from all the

coming Harry Potter films.306 Two and a half months later on 16 December, the first

line of products, a collection of postcards designed by Warner Bros., produced in

cooperation between PLPH and Beijing Postal Service & Management, were

released in Beijing. The release timed the high demand of postcards before the New

Year and the Chinese New Year and was believed to be a very good selling.307

Although the postcards were only available for purchasing in Beijing, the nature of

this kind of product had decided that their influence would hardly be restricted to

where they were purchased. They had served not only as a line of “Harry Potter”

products but also as an excellent way to promote all the related products, especially

the coming release of the first Harry Potter film – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s

Stone imported and released in China by China Film Group in early 2002.

By the time the film was released in China, PLPH had also produced several

other lines of printing products that were related to “Harry Potter”, including

colouring books, pop-up books, poster books, calendars and etc.308 These products

had created anticipation that was so great that China Film Group did not even bother

to do much publicity for the film. As a matter of fact, there was not an intended

cooperation between PLPH and China Film Group; however, the de facto

cooperative effect was formed since China Film Group put a line of text saying

“Harry Potter book series are published by People’s Literature Publishing House in

China” on the posters that they put on in the cinemas. China Film Group also

allowed PLPH to set up sales counters at selected cinemas in Beijing and Shanghai to

306
Li, S. L., ‘Ren Wen She Huo Zhun Shen Wa Ha Li Bo Te’ (People’s Literature Publishing House
to develop Harry Potter printing products in China), China Reading Weekly, 26 Sep. 2001, p. 001.
307
Meng, Y., ‘Ha Li Bo Te Da Bian Shen’ (Transforming Harry Potter), China Book Business Report,
11 Dec. 2001, p. 003.
308
Ibid.

166
sell Harry Potter books to the audiences. The sales of Harry Potter novels and related

books had prepared a good environment for the release of the film in China. The

film’s release had, in return, stimulated the sales of Harry Potter books of another

round.

On 26 January 2002, the premiere of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

(Harry Potter I) in China was held in Shanghai at Shanghai Film Art Centre. The

premiere, featuring in the reception hall a gigantic Harry Potter poster, cosplay show

by Harry Potter fans, magic show and sales of Harry Potter products such as the

novels, was described by Guangming Daily as “a carnival for the children”.309 Ellen

Eliasoph, executive vice president and general counsel of Warner Bros. in Asia-

Pacific region commended that it was one of the most joyful and lively premieres she

had ever been to.310 Before the movie, a video clip featuring some of the main

characters from the film wishing Chinese audiences a happy Chinese New Year was

shown twice, which aroused applause and excitement among the audiences. One day

later, the film was premiered in Beijing at China Film Cinema. The media predicted

that a “Harry Potter storm” was coming, which soon turned out to be a fact as the

film’s box office, in Beijing alone, had hit 2 million yuan mark in just two days after

its official release to public cinemas.311, 312 Yubin Yang, vice president of Shanghai

Film Group, indicated that the popularity of Harry Potter I was even greater than

Pearl Harbour (2001) which was the No. 1 imported film in Chinese box office the

309
Sun, L. P., ‘Mu Ji Ha Li Bo Te Deng Lu Zhong Guo’ (Witnessing the arrival of Harry Potter at
Chinese cinemas), Guangming Daily, 28 Jan. 2002, p. A02.
310
Ibid.
311
Shi, C., ‘Ha Li Bo Te Yu Mo Fa Shi Xuan Feng Jiang Qi’ (Harry Potter storm is coming), China
Woman, 29 Jan. 2002, p. 004.
312
Li, J., ‘Ha Li Bo Te Jiu Jing You Shen Me Mo Fa’ (What is so magical about Harry Potter?),
Workers’ Daily, 13 Feb. 2002, p. 001.

167
previous year.313 The competition among local cinemas for the limited film copies

was heated. In certain regions, cinemas had to bid as there were simply not enough

film copies for rotation. In Guangzhou alone, bids were received from twenty

cinemas.314 A film distributor from Guangdong suggested that the film came at a

right time as it was released almost right before the Chinese New Year and

spontaneously became a New Year hit for Chinese children and their families.315

The box office performance of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in China

was remarkable. Gathering a total of 59 million yuan in cinemas around China, it

ranked the first among all imported films of the year 2002. List of defeated included

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Star Wars: Attack of the Clones

and Spider-Man. Among all the films that were released in China in 2002, it was

only beaten by Zhang Yimou’s Hero. Looking at the genre of family adventure, no

domestic film of the year was even comparable to it in terms of box office success.316

Up until now, China Film Group had imported all the Harry Potter films. In

general, China premieres of Harry Potter films were later than their world premieres,

the time of delay ranging from several months to several days, as indicated in Table

2. The longest one was with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban which was

delayed by 102 days from its world premiere in UK. Harry Potter and the Deathly

Hallows: Part 1 was delayed the least, which was only 8 days later than its world

premiere in the UK.

Table 2. World and China premiere of Harry Potter films317

313
Sun, L. P., ‘Mu Ji Ha Li Bo Te Deng Lu Zhong Guo’ (Witnessing the arrival of Harry Potter at
Chinese cinemas), Guangming Daily, 28 Jan. 2002, p. A02.
314
Li, J., Workers’ Daily, 13 Feb. 2002, p. 001.
315
Sun, L. P., Guangming Daily, 28 Jan. 2002, p. A02.
316
See appendix A
317
Data gathered from IMDb and Box Office Mojo.

168
 Film Title World China Delay
Premiere Premiere
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone UK: 4 Nov 26 Jan 2002 83 days
2001
Harry Potter and the Chamber of UK: 3 Nov 24 Jan 2003 51 days
Secrets 2002
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of UK: 31 May 10 Sep 2004 102
Azkaban 2004 days
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire UK: 6 Nov 18 Nov 2005 12 days
2005
Harry Potter and the Order of the Japan: 28 Jun 10 Aug 2007 43 days
Phoenix 2007
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Japan: 6 Jul 15 Jul 2009 9 days
Prince 2009
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: UK: 11 Nov 19 Nov 2010 8 days
Part 1 2010
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: UK: 7 July 4 Aug 2011 28 days
Part 2 2011

In box office, as of 27 September 2011, the six Harry Potter films that had been

released had gathered around 1.2 billion yuan in total in Chinese cinemas. The box

office for each of the eight films in China and worldwide is listed in Table 3.

Table 3. Box office for Harry Potter films in China and worldwide (as of 27 Sep

2011)318

Film Title China Worldwide

Box Office Yearly Yearly
Box Office
(Million Yuan) Rank Rank
Harry Potter and
59.0 ($7,125,604)
the Sorcerer's 2 (2002) $974,733,550 1 (2001)
¥8.28 =$1
Stone
Harry Potter and
52.0 ($6,280,193)
the Chamber of 2 (2003) $878,643,482 2 (2002)
¥8.28 =$1
Secrets
Harry Potter and
36.6 ($4,420,289)
the Prisoner of 10 (2004) $795,634,069 2 (2004)
¥8.28 =$1
Azkaban
Harry Potter and 94.9
the Goblet of Fire ($11,745,050) 3 (2005) $895,921,036 1 (2005)
¥8.08 =$1

318
See appendix A

169
 Harry Potter and 143.0
the Order of the ($18,890,357) 5 (2007) $938,212,738 2 (2007)
Phoenix ¥7.57 =$1
Harry Potter and 157.0
the Half-Blood ($22,986,823) 9 (2009) $933,959,197 2 (2009)
Prince ¥6.83 =$1
Harry Potter and 221.10
the Deathly ($33,148,425) 9(2010) $955,417,476 3 (2010)
Hallows: Part 1 ¥6.67 =$1
Harry Potter and 407.95
the Deathly ($60,526,706) - $1,325,558,898 1 (2011)
Hallows: Part 2 ¥6.37 =$1

As is shown, the second one in the series, Harry Potter and the Chamber of

Secrets, had continued the success of its previous one in China. It ranked the first

among all imported films beating The Matrix Reloaded, Finding Nemo and The Lord

of the Rings: The Two Towers, and only seconded to one domestic film, Feng

Xiaogang’s Cell Phone which won narrowly by only 4 million yuan.

In 2004, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third in the series, was

released in China. Comparing to the success of the first two films, its box office in

China failed to match the anticipation by only receiving 36.6 million yuan while the

predicted figure was at least 50 million.319 Although it ranked the fifth among

imported films and the tenth among all films released in Chinese cinemas of the

same year, as an imported blockbuster which was the second in the year’s worldwide

box office chart, this outcome was far from being satisfactory. Delayed release was

considered as the main cause that leaded to the unsatisfying box office result.320

Forced to give way to Zhang Yimo’s House of Flying Daggers which was a domestic

film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban missed the precious summer holiday

season. When the film was finally released to Chinese cinemas in September, term

319
Gao, H. J., ‘Ha Li Bo Te 3: Huang Ji Zhou Piao Fang Lue You Fan Tan’ (Harry Potter 3: picking
up with the box office during national holidays), China Film News, 14 Oct. 2004, p. 005.
320
Ibid.

170
time for students had already started. In addition, the release time across Chinese

cinemas were not synchronous, even among major cities. For example, the film’s

release in Beijing was one week later than its general national release. According to a

report from China Film News, the delay and asynchrony in release also encouraged

piracy, from which the cinemas lost a proportion of audiences who could not wait.

Although the screening lasted to the National Day holiday week, the release of

several domestic films including New Police Story staring Jackie Chan, Chinese

propaganda film Zhang Si De and Wang Kar-Wai’s 2046 had left Harry Potter and

the Prisoner of Azkaban with very limited space to bounce up in the box office chart,

as suggested by Li Weng, deputy director of distribution and exhibition of China

Film Group.321

From the fourth Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which

gathered a decent amount of 94.9 million yuan in box office, each of the following

sequels outperformed its previous ones. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,

although released in China almost one and a half months later than its world

premiere, still stormed the Chinese cinemas by gaining a record-breaking box office

for Harry Potter series of 143 million yuan. The next sequel, Harry Potter and the

Half-Blood Prince, did even better and wrapped up 157 million yuan in the Chinese

box office. The final two films together, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part

1 & Part 2, drew a satisfactory conclusion to the box office performance of Harry

Potter films in China by gaining nearly 630 million yuan, more than that of the

previous six films adding up together.

Examining the box office data of Harry Potter films in China chronologically, it

can be seen that, with only one exception in 2004, that is, Harry Potter and the

321
Ibid.

171
Prisoner of Azkaban, the box office performance of Harry Potter films was getting

better and better. Although the Chinese box numbers are only a small percentage of

their worldwide ones, it can been seen that this percentage is increasing. In recent

years, imported blockbusters have received strong challenge from the prosperous

development of Chinese domestic films. Take year 2009 for example, among the top

ten grossed films in Chinese cinemas, six of them were domestic ones. Noting this,

the box office performance of Harry Potter series in China should be considered as

satisfactory.322

Authentic DVDs/VCDs of Harry Potter films are also available in China. CAV

Thakral Home Entertainment, a joint venture of China Audio & Video Publishing

House (CAV), the main DVD/VCD distribution agent for Western film studios in

China, and Singapore Thakral Corporation imported and distributed the first two

Harry Potter films on DVD/CVD in 2002 and 2003.323 In 2004, Beijing CAV

Tongfang Audio-visual Publishing House, a joint venture between CAV and

Tsinghua Tongfang Company imported and distributed the DVDs/VCDs of the third

film. In February 2005, CAV Warner Home Entertainment Company, a Shanghai

based joint venture between CAV and Warner Home Video was formed and became

the distributor of Warner Home Video products to leading consumer retail and video

outlets throughout China.324 As a matter of fact, before the formation of the joint

venture, CAV and Warner Bros. had worked together and republished the DVDs and

VCDs for the first two films in December 2004. These DVDs and VCDs, as the joint

venture between CAV and Thakral ceased in 2006, had replaced those by CAV

322
See appendix A.
323
Anon., ‘Ha Li Bo Te Zheng Ban DVD/VCD’ (Authentic Harry Potter DVD/VCD), Practical
Audio-visual Technology, 5(2002), 22(p. 22).
324
Anon., ‘CAV Warner Home Entertainment Co.’,
<http://www.timewarner.com/corp/newsroom/pr/0,20812,1030960,00.html> [accessed 16 Feb 2010]

172
Thakral Home Entertainment and become the authorized DVD/VCD versions for the

first two films distributed in the Chinese market. It should be noted that, Warner

Home Video is the first U.S. studio to establish in-country DVD/VCD operation in

China. From then on, all DVDs/VCDs of Harry Potter films in China, including

DVD/VCD collections, are all distributed by CAV Warner Home Entertainment

Company. The release of the DVDs/VCDs for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

(released in 2006) and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (released in 2007)

in China were both the earliest around the world. The sixth film’s DVDs, although

not being world’s first release, had much improved content and quality. The limited

“Death Eater Mask Edition” for collectors was also available for purchasing in

Chinese market.

There is no published official figure for the sales of DVDs and VCDs of Harry

Potter films in China; however, charts provided by online retailers proved their

popularity. According to Joyo (amazon.cn, the major online DVD retailer in China

and also the appointed online retailer for CAV Warner Home Entertainment Co.), as

of 10 March 2010, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (5th in the chart), Harry

Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (16th in the chart) and Harry Potter and the

Goblet of Fire (27th in the chart) were still among the top 30 best selling DVDs under

the family film category.325 Besides, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the DVD

set of the first five Harry Potter films and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

were listed as the No. 4, 9 and 10 by customer rating in the same category (Table 4).

325
Joyo (amazon.cn), Family film DVD sales ranking,
<http://www.amazon.cn/s/qid=1276075824/ref=sr_st?__mk_zh_CN=%E4%BA%9A%E9%A9%AC
%E9%80%8A%E7%BD%91%E7%AB%99&page=1&rh=n:811074051,n:811109051,n:811341051&
bbn=811341051&sort=salesrank> [accessed 10 Mar 2010].

173
Table 4. Family film DVD ranking based on customer rating on Joyo (10 March

2010)326

Film
Rank Film released in
China327
1 Enchanted (2007) -
2 Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007) -
3 Bridge to Terabithia (2007) 2009
4 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
2002
(2001)
5 Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) 2009
6 Home Alone (1990) -
7 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) -
8 Chicken Run (2000) 2001
9 Harry Potter 1-5 collection set 2007
10 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
2003
(2002)

Warner Bros. who produced the films, China Film Group who imported and

distributed the films, CAV Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Company and the

other companies who imported and distributed the films’ video products should all

fell happy about the market performance of the Harry Potter films in China. The box

office of the films, without taking into account the DVD/VCD sales, had already

gathered about 1.2 billion yuan. Their popularity has lasted a span of more than a

decade and is still continuing. As an imported film series, this is unprecedented.

Harry Potter novel and film series are both commercially successful in China. It

has generated a huge fandom in the OCG. Their fantasy adventure with Harry Potter

may have started from the novels, but it was visually materialised on the big screens.

What I am concerned is what the OCG audiences see in these films. Compare to the

326
Joyo (amazon.cn), Family film DVD ranking based on customer rating,
<http://www.amazon.cn/s/qid=1276075808/ref=sr_st?__mk_zh_CN=%E4%BA%9A%E9%A9%AC
%E9%80%8A%E7%BD%91%E7%AB%99&page=1&bbn=811341051&rh=n:811074051,n:8111090
51,n:811341051&sort=reviewrank_authority> [accessed 10 Mar 2010]
327
“-” indicates that the film has not been released in cinemas of mainland China.

174
general audiences, do they see anything special? Has anything they see influenced

them in any way? In the next section, this case study of Harry Potter will move on to

the study of OCG audiences’ reception to Harry Potter film series.

Why Didn’t I Go to a School Like That?

As discussed earlier, the first instalment of Harry Potter saga, Harry Potter and the

Sorcerer’s Stone, performed well in the Chinese box office. Although it did not earn

as much as the later sequels, considering the Chinese market conditions at the time

and that fact that it ranked at the second place among all films released that year, the

59 million yuan box office should be considered a remarkable achievement. A few

days after its national release, People Daily published its review for the film on 6

February 2002, in which film critic Chun Miao praised the film’s imagination in

visualising the story. Miao wrote, “The novel is full of imagination, the film is even

better thanks to the modern film technologies and the crew’s fascinating re-

creation.”328 Also on People’s Daily, on 1 March 2002, another review was

published, which obviously hold a different opinion about the film. Critic Weiping

Ge warned that the overly exaggerated magic scenes might have negative influence

on children. In the review, Ge also called on Chinese film producers to actively work

on bringing the Chinese children with proper and healthy fantasy films that were

based on the local culture and ideology.329 Similar dispute took place between two

reviews published on the same issue of Culture Monthly. In the first review, film

critic Wei Bing referred to the film as “Hollywood fast-food film” and criticised it

328
Miao, Chun, “Ha li bo te de xiang xiang li (The Power of Imagination in Harry Potter)”, People’s
Daily, 6 February 2002, p.7
329
Ge, Weiping, “Gei ha li bo te po dian leng shui (To Pour Some Cold Water on the Enthusiasm on
Harry Potter)”, People’s Daily, 1 March 2002, p.12

175
for its overly relying on special effects and its indifference to narrative.330 While in

the second review by Xiaobo Yuan, the critic called the film “an outstanding

brilliance” which brought to the audiences a well-told story and an authentic sense of

the Britain.331 Despite of its obvious satisfactory box office and its popularity among

the Chinese audiences, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone had received both

positive and negative reviews from Chinese critics and media. Opposed views were

even found on the same magazine or newspaper. From then on to the last episode,

Chinese public media had generally maintained a rational balance between the

negative and the positive attitude and reaction to the Harry Potter film saga.

In the Chinese box office, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, as the third

instalment of the series, was considered a flop surrounded by the success of the other

films. However, Chinese film critics did not make use of its box office failure to

criticise the film (recall what happened to Mulan). Many of them actually gave the

film rather positive reviews and praised the film’s artistic achievement. “The best

Harry Potter film so far,” claimed by Chinese film critic Songluo Han in his review

published in Popular Cinema. He added, “From the colours, the scenes to

atmosphere generated, this episode brought the audiences much better visual and

spiritual experiences than the previous two films.”332 Regarding the production of the

film, positive responses were also received from general Chinese audiences. Many

Harry Potter fans considered Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban as the most

delicate interpretation of the original novel.333 An audience member wrote in her

330
Bing, Wei, “Hali bote remai mei shihuo (Harry Potter: Popular yet Empty)”, Cultural Monthly, Z1,
2002, pp.98-99
331
Yuan, Xiaobo, “Juebu jiandan de jingcai (Outstanding Brilliance)”, Cultural Monthly, Z1, 2002,
p.100
332
Han, Songluo, “Hali bote: mohuan shijieli de qingcong suiyue (Harry Potter: the Early Years of the
Magic World)”, Popular Cinema, 18 (2004), pp.38-39
333
Mtime, Harry Potter and Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), <http://movie.mtime.com/13773/>,
[accessed 28 September 2011].

176
blog after seeing the final episode of the series, “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of

Azkaban is still my favourite. Alfonso Cuarón (director of this sequel) is the most

attentive director in all Harry Potter films. His attention to details made the film

worth seeing many times.”334

From then on, more and more Chinese journal and newspaper writings about

Harry Potter film series were published, many of them were found to focus on

discussing its characteristics as merchandise, its commercial operation and its

implications for the local entertainment industry. For example, “A Study on the

Propagation of Harry Potter” published in Contemporary Cinema took a close look at

how the Harry Potter films were marketed internationally.335 “The Ponders Brought

by Good Selling of Harry Potter Series Products” published in Toys World

emphasised the implications of Harry Potter merchandising to the local toy

productions.336

After a few releases, as the excitement for the fantasy world visualised in the

films gradually settled down, researchers and critics started to explore the ideology

world that the films presented to the audiences. On seeing its influence over time,

their works also had a tendency to examine the Harry Potter film series instead of a

particular film. Jianhua Chen emphasised the positive humanity influence of the

films. He said, “What Harry Potter films had promoted to the audiences is the

sacrifice for justice, the greatness of humanity. Although Harry’s life mission was to

destroy Voldemort who was the killer of his parents, what we saw the most in the

334
Mtime – Jiuyue Shuangsheng’s Blog, “Hali bote yu azi kaban qiutu zhong shanshan faguang de
xiao xiejie (The Shinning Details in the Film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)”,
<http://i.mtime.com/margaret1028/blog/6400392/>, [accessed 28 September 2011].
335
Xiao, Jing, “Hali bote chuanbo xianxiang tanxi (A Study on the Propagation of Harry Potter)”,
Contemporary Cinema, 3 (2005), pp.104-107
336
Wang, Danjing,“The Ponders Brought by Good Selling of Harry Potter Series Products”, Toy
World, 9 (2007), pp.39-43

177
film was not hatred but love.”337 Similarly, Xiaowei Wang claimed that, Harry Potter

films were destined to influence a generation of people. Unlike the dazzling but

fleeting spectacles of magic, the imprint of humanity that the audiences received

from the films would only grow stronger and stronger over one episode after

another.338

Also focussing on the humanity messages in the films, Ji Chen in her work set

out to tackle some issues about the film’s adaptation and interpretation of the

novels.339 She argued that, the sex difference between the female writer (J. K

Rowling) and the male film directors (from Chris Columbus to David Yates) had an

impact on the film series’ narrative and its visualisation of the novels. In her work,

she highlighted the differences in both plot character between the films and the

novels. She pointed out that, as a female writer, Rowling had put a lot of effort in

depicting family life and female protagonists. However, this feminine family

sentiment was significantly weakened by male directors whose cognition was

dominated by their sense of social responsibilities. In the films, Harry Potter as the

main male protagonist, his courage and bravery were sufficiently portrayed through

intensive action scenes; however, the concerns of family and female were somehow

lost between the scenes.

On seeing the particular popularity of the series among the young people, film

researchers started to seek for the explanations for its appeal. In the work by Guifeng

Luo and Guihua Liu, they linked the school background of the Harry Potter story

with the real life experience of the audiences. They pointed out that, although it

337
Chen, Jianhua, “Qihuan yu tongzhen zaojiu de qiji – ping dianying hali bote xilie (The Miracle of
Magic and Humanity – a Review of Harry Potter Film Series)”, Writing, 1 (2006), pp.23-26.
338
Wang, Xiaowei, “Renxing de benzhen zhanxian – hali bote xilie dianying fenxi(The True
Humanity – an analysis of Harry Potter Film Series)”, Movie Review, 2 (2007), pp.50-51.
339
Chen, Ji, “Cong xingbie jiaodu tan chuangzuo (Gender and Its Impact on Creative Work)”,
Reviews and research on Chinese Literature, 1 (2008), pp.64-67.

178
happened in a magical world, young audiences were familiar with the school image

and the education system described in the story.340 Furthermore, Zhongping Lou and

Wei Zhao in their review of Harry Potter film series suggested that Hogwarts School

of Witchcraft and Wizardry represented an ideal education system where students

were encouraged to think independently and taught with real problem solving

skills.341

I agree that school life was indeed an interface through which audiences were

connected with the Harry Potter films. During my research, I found that the OCG

audiences have a special bond with the films through this channel. However, what I

would like to argue is that, the bond was not only formed by the similarity between

what was presented in the film and what the OCG audiences had experienced in their

life, but also formed by the differences, the differences between the tailored

education represented by Hogwarts and the mass education that the OCG was given.

Probably everyone who loves Harry Potter loves Hogwarts. To celebrate the

final instalment in the Harry Potter film saga, the UK network ITV initialised a

voting on their facebook page for the “50 greatest Harry Potter Moments” in June

2011. The resultant programme, in the form of a countdown, was aired on ITV1 on

27 July 2011, 20 days into the film’s release in the UK. Featuring interviews with J.

K. Rowling and the casting group, the programme revealed the number one greatest

moment voted by the public – first sight of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and

Wizardry. The OCG audiences did not participate in the voting because facebook is

banned in China, but they did see the result which was posted on Douban and many

340
Luo, Guifeng and Liu, Guihua, “The Analysis of ‘Harry Potter’ Cultural Phenomena”, Journal of
Hubei TV University, 5(2008), pp.67-68.
341
Lou, Zhongping and Zhao, Wei, “Cong kuawanhua shiye kan hali bote dianying xilie (Looking at
the Harry Potter film series from a transnational aspect)”, Film Literature, 8 (2007), p.52.

179
other online forums.342 Although they challenged the rankings of some particular

moments, none seemed to complain about “first sight of Hogwarts” being the

greatest of the greatest. Many replied to the post on Douban by quoting what J. K.

Rowling said in the video,

“The stories we love best do live in us forever. So whether you come back

by page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome

you home.”

It is not hard to believe that Harry Potter audiences had considered Hogwarts as their

spiritual home. For so many years, it had been the place where all the adventure

started and also the place for them to end. Evidence shows that, their love for

Hogwarts was not only because of the time or the importance of this place in the

storyline; it is also because Hogwarts represented something they had had or missed

in their life.

In the story, Hogwarts is a school for magic. No matter how fancy it is,

essentially, it is a school. People who attended it had to go to classes, do their

homework, take exams and, for those who broke the rules, to be punished in some

ways. This arrangement formed a connection between the world of magic and the

OCG audiences who, as students, had also been doing the same things every day.

Because of this connection, the OCG audiences could easily observe the similarities

as well as the differences as they were constantly making comparisons between the

fantasy world and their own life. This connection formed the basic OCG audiences’

relationships with the films – a mapping between the films and the real life

experience of the OCG.

342
Douban, 50 Greatest Harry Potter Moments, <http://movie.douban.com/subject/6758119/>
[accessed 28 September 2011].

180
 In a post titled “Four Colleges of Fudan University vs. Four Schools of

Hogwarts” by a male OCG blogger, each of the four Fudan colleges was matched

with a corresponding Hogwarts school based on their similarities in values.343 Fudan

University is one of the oldest universities in China founded in 1905 when the nation

was still under the government of the Qing Dynasty. The owner of the blog

graduated from this university. This is one of the examples where OCG audiences

actively make connections between their experiences in education with Hogwarts.

While some made connections based on similarities, others did the same based

on differences. In an article by Miao Wang, a reporter of The Economic Observer,

Hogwarts was used as a baseline to evaluate China’s education system. By

comparing the ideological differences in education between the two, Wang explained

why Hogwarts was considered the dream school by Chinese students.344 To

emphasise the “treatments received by Harry Potter in education that are different to

those by Chinese students”, he started with the “Sorting Hat”, a magical item to sort

pupils to different school, and wrote,

“At Hogwarts, you don’t get sorted based on your social position or your

exam mark but your aptitude, your talent. In China, you don’t get a chance

like this.”

What Hogwarts provided was tailored education as opposed to the untailored,

mass education that was offered to the OCG. As discussed in Chapter 2, the system’s

indifference to individuality is one of OCG’s frustrations in education. Another OCG

audience wrote,

343
Baidu-Hi, Four Colleges of Fudan University vs. Four Schools of Hogwarts,
<http://hi.baidu.com/drog1000/blog/item/495f2c82e3c1fc94f703a66a.html> [accessed 28 September
2011].
344
The Economic Observer, A Replicable Harry Potter,
<http://www.eeo.com.cn/bookreview/mybooks/2011/03/14/196148.shtml> [accessed 28 September
2011].

181
 “How I wish that there is a ‘sorting hat’ in the real word. From primary

school to middle school, from middle school to high school, from high

school to university, has anyone cared about what’s actually in our

head?”345

From Hogwarts, the OCG saw the ideal education but they know the difference

between fantasy and reality. As can be seen from the above texts, the author

emphasised the reality by using “real word” and “actually”. The author appeared to

be more inclined to criticise the reality than to fancy the imaginary world. But still,

being able to have a pet legally, to play “quiddich” freely and to have a “room of

requirement” when require – all these magical elements were admired by the OCG

audiences because they all represented something that the OCG audiences lacked in

their real life. Their fancy for a “pet” originated from their loneliness of being an

only child. “Quiddich” was their squeezed play time at school while “room of

requirement” represented their need for a space for themselves.

If the concepts and elements represented the OCG audiences’ desire, they would

naturally arouse their admiring emotion to the film. If it represented something

negative in the audiences’ life, it would lead to a completely different response. The

most suitable example for this is the fifth instalment of the series, Harry Potter and

the Order of the Phoenix. The villain of this episode, Dolores Umbridge, was

considered by the OCG audiences as the “true reflection of the executioner of

China’s mass education”. In the film, Umbridge was installed at Hogwarts as

Defence Against the Dark Arts professor and “High Inquisitor” by order of the

Ministry of Magic.

Xiaoliang Li, an OCG audience, wrote in his article,

345
Baidu, Sorting Hat Bar, <http://tieba.baidu.com/p/9187006>, [accessed 28 September 2011].

182
 “What excited me the most in this film was not magic or combating

Voldemort, but the victory against Umbridge. I believe everyone who

suffered the exam-oriented mass education would agree.”346

“Suffer”, “victory” and “exciting” – these three words summarised the OCG

audiences’ emotional response while watching the film. Almost everything

Umbridge did during her stay at Hogwarts had reminded the OCG about what they

had gone through in their school life. “No physical contact between boys and girls”,

“reporting on other students”, “theory is more important than practice”, “studying is

for passing the exam”, “numerous rules hanging on the wall”, “abusive punishments”

– everything was just so similar to China’s education practice that Li described it as a

“mind-blowing familiarity”.

The same suffering resulted in the OCG audiences’ intimacy with the characters

in the film. Emotionally, the audiences joined the students of Hogwarts and became

their allies. Hence when the students won the “victory” against Umbridge – the

representative of the education system – OCG also felt the “excitement”, the

excitement they probably never had. What came after the excitement was reflection.

To the end of the article, Li wrote,

“We could imagine ourselves being in the fantasised world, playing with

magic and doing whatever we want without worrying about the

consequences. Back to the reality, under the current education system,

what can we do?”347

346
Qzone, Mofa shijie yu yingshi jiaoyu (World of magic and China’s exam-oriented education),
<http://qzone.blog.qq.com/622005054/blog/36.htm> [accessed 28 September 2011]
347
Ibid.

183
 Again, the OCG audiences clearly distinguished the fantasy and the reality.

Based on their judgement of the society and the social position they were at, although

not completely refuse the possibility, they questioned their power to make a change.

In this chapter, a study of the Harry Potter franchise had been carried out. Issues

relating the reading of Harry Potter novels in urban China were discussed first, which

provided a baseline of the popularity and reception to the franchise. The chapter then

examined the industrial performance of Harry Potter film saga. The overall

satisfactory box office performance of the entire series indicated its strong appeal to

the general Chinese audiences as family film. Then the study was focussed on the

reception of OCG audiences to the Harry Potter films, which revealed the special

connection between the OCG and the films.

Neither what J. K. Rowling presented in the novels to the readers nor what the

directors of Harry Potter films presented to the audiences is hardly based on the life

of the OCG. However, these films managed to resonate with the OCG audiences

because something about the film fit into their education and school life experiences,

into the media reception schemata generated during their social process of emerging

as a generation.

184
Chapter 6 Transformers: the Power of

Memories

The success of Transformers (2007) in China was one of the inspirations of this

thesis. It drew my attention to a group of OCG audience – the Transformers fans. A

connection between the group and the film was observed, so was a connection

between the group’s collective memories and their reception to the film. The

collective memories of the group had led to the nostalgia which, as discussed in

Chapter 2, had led to a series of nostalgic activities within the group in recent years.

From the initial air of the Transformers TV cartoon series in 1987 to the most recent

feature film Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), the influence of the franchise in

China had been in play for more than two decades. Unlike that of the Harry Potter

which had appeared to be a continuous force, the influence Transformers had

followed a distinctively different pattern: imprint, hibernate, revive and strengthen.

In this chapter, a case study of the Transformers franchise is presented. The

study is focussed on how the collective memories and nostalgia of the group had

been constructed and their effects on their reception to the film Transformers (2007).

The chapter will first look into the history of Transformers from its first appearance

on Chinese television as a cartoon series to its most recent feature film released in

2011. The chapter will then look into the status of science-fiction entertainment for

Chinese children back to the day when the cartoon first came to China in order to

explain how the cartoon series on its own had left a strong impression in the

memories of the group. Third, as a significant part of the Transformers franchise, the

toys and the role they played in shaping the memories and identities of the group

185
individuals will be discusses. Finally, memories and nostalgia, on both individual

and collective levels, will be linked to the reception of the film through the analysis

of media and audience generated text.

Transformers – from TV to the Cinema

The OCG audiences’ memory for Transformers started from the franchise’s

television cartoon series aired in China in the 1980s. The cartoon and the film series

were independent in plot, but they were both based on the characters of the toy line

created by Hasbro. The idea was that an individual toy’s parts can be shifted about to

change it from one form such as a vehicle, a device or an animal into an

anthropomorphic robot action figure which can be shifted back again. The toy line

was designed with two opposing factions: the heroic Autobots and the evil

Decepticons. To help promoting the toys, Claster Television, a television production

company owned by Hasbro, produced the Transformers television series. The first

series was aired in the US in 1984 when the first generation of the toy line became

available in the market followed by a number of spin-offs including the three

featured films.

To promote their toys to Chinese consumers, in 1987, after being turned down

by China Central Television (CCTV) due to the programme’s “excessively violent

content”, Hasbro approached Shanghai Television, the local television station of

Shanghai. Hasbro offered the cartoon series, later known as the Transformers:

Generation One, to Shanghai Television for free. 348 The dubbed version of the

programme started to air in May 1988 and, not at all to the surprise of Hasbro,

348
Shang, Jin, “Bianxing jingang ershi nian (Twenty years of Transformers)”, Sanlian Lifeweek, 25
August 2003, <http://lifeweek.com.cn/2003-08-26/000046470.shtml>, [6 May 2008].

186
immediately grabbed the attention of young Chinese (the OCG). Only five months

later, Guangzhou Television, another local television station of China, had to pay

Hasbro to get the series.349 The reaction of the Chinese children towards the cartoon

was unprecedented and greatly promoted the sale of the toys. The cartoon series was

once banned by the government because “children have become obsessed” and “(the

obsession) started to cause financial burdens to families”.350 The toys were rather

expensive for an ordinary Chinese family to purchase at that time. Later in the 1990s,

China imported a few sequels of the cartoon series. They were also very popular but

not as much as the first series among the OCG.

Twenty years after the franchise’s cartoon television series was first aired in

China, the Paramount’s film Transformers (2007), set off an upsurge of enthusiasm

towards these transformable robots in the nation once again. Its two sequels,

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) and Transformers: Dark of the Moon

(2011) received even stronger response in the box office. Table 6.1 lists the

worldwide and Chinese box office of the three films.

Table 6.1 Box Office of Transformers Series (as of 29 September 2011)351

World Local
Film Title World Gross Yearly China Gross Yearly
Ranking Ranking
Transformers $709,709,780 5 $37,218,823 1
Transformers: $836,303,693 4 $65,837,290 2
Revenge of the Fallen
Transformers: Dark $1,118,632,811 2 * 1
$172,944,444
of the Moon

* This box office figure is obtained from Engroup.

349
Wan, Jing, “Jingang zhongguo bianxing ji (Transformers transformed in China)”, Southern
Weekend, 18 July 2007, <http://www.infzm.com/content/trs/raw/22047>, [6 May 2008].
350
Ibid.
351
Box Office Mojo, Transformers, <http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=transformers06.htm>;
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, <http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=transformers2.htm>;
Transformers: Dark of the Moon, <http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=transformers3.htm>
[accessed 29 September 2011].

187
 The film sent the Chinese box office sales right through the roof by grossing

37.2 million US dollars, which made a strong contribution to its worldwide gross of

709.7 million and nearly broke the record kept by the 1998 film Titanic (40.00

million US dollars in Chinese box office).352 The film was released in the Chinese

cinemas with 540 copies nationwide, more than any blockbuster China had

previously imported.353 The film immediately refreshed the record of the fastest-

grossing blockbuster in the Chinese film market by reaching the milestone of 100

million yuan within only 5 days, followed by Spider-Man III (2007) (12 days) and

King Kong (2006) (14 days).354 The box office performance of the film is given in

Table 6.2.

Table 6.2: Weekly Chinese Box Office of Transformers (2007)355

Date Rank Weekend Gross Gross-to-Date*
Jul. 9–15 1 $12,797,171 $12,797,171
Jul. 16–22 1 $10,961,292 $24,167,668
Jul. 23–29 1 $6,340,819 $31,043,593
Jul. 30–Aug. 5 1 $3,299,894 $34,318,902
Aug. 6–12 3 $1,384,366 $35,663,902
Aug. 13–19 6 $486,522 $36,055,227
Aug. 20–26 7 $197,941 $36,381,631

* Not include IMAX.

Audience, which will be discussed in the later sections of this chapter, was an

important factor that contributed to the success of the film. Other than that, there

were still a few others that were worth mentioning. The film was released in July,

right at the beginning of the Summer Holiday Season which was regarded as one of

the most profitable periods of Chinese film market, the other one being the Chinese

352
Box Office Mojo, Transformers, <http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=transformers06.htm>,
[accessed 29 September 2011].
353
Ding, Yilan, “Benzhou yinbao bianxing jingang (Transformers to be released this week)”, China
Film News, 12 July 2007, p.017.
354
Jiao, Yuqing, “Bianxing jingang reyinghou de lengsikao (Some thoughts about Tranformers’
popularity)”, People’s Daily International, 27 July 2007, p.013.
355
Box Office Mojo, Transformers, <http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=transformers06.htm>,
[accessed 29 September 2011].

188
New Year Season. The release was only one week later than that of the US, thus

reduced the impact of piracy. The objectives of publicity for the film were also very

well achieved. News about the film started to come up almost as soon as the plan to

produce the film was revealed. The discussions became heated as time approached its

release and even more so afterwards. Shows that talked about the film flooded the

media as many celebrities, including acts from Super Girl (Chinese equivalent of

American Idol), were invited to talk about their anticipations about the film on TV.

In the cinemas, the film’s posters and action figures were often placed at the most

noticeable positions. Above all, the film itself was well worth the passion and

anticipation. Apart from the film’s stunning visual/audio achievement being

promoted through the media, Director Michael Bay together with Paramount and

DreamWorks were good enough to draw the attention from the Chinese audiences.

Also, sci-fi films had always had their market in China (e.g. The Matrix (1999),

Spider-Man (2002) and their sequels).

In 2009, the first sequel of the film, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009),

hit the Chinese cinema. Chinese audiences responded with an even greater

enthusiasm than the first film. On 24 Jun, major cinemas across China arranged mid-

night release for the Transformers fans and received favourable results: the national

box office gained 3.5 million yuan on the night with nearly 100,000 attendances,

which was the best mid-night result in history. The release day box office reached a

total of 33.7 million yuan, almost 50 per cent higher than that of the first film in 2007.

Five days into the release to the end of the first week, the Chinese box office of the

film ranked at the fourth place internationally, after the US, the UK and Japan, with a

189
satisfactory 165 million yuan.356 In 18 days, the film managed to take in 377 million

yuan, which was a remarkable achievement comparing to the 359 million that Titanic

(1998) received in its 70 days of release. At the end of its fourth week in release,

with a record breaking 408 million yuan, it became the first in Chinese film history

to reach the 400 million yuan milestone.357 The final box office was 455 million yuan.

Table 6.3 provides the box office performance of the film in China by week. The box

office figures have been converted to US dollars based on an exchange rate of 6.83:1.

Table 6.3: Weekly Chinese Box Office of Transformers: Revenge of the

Fallen (2009)358
Date Rank Weekend Gross Gross-to-Date
Jun. 24–28 1 $24,158,126 $24,158,126
Jun. 29–Jul. 5 1 $20,204,978 $44,363,104
Jul. 6-12 1 $10,834,553 $55,197,657
Jul. 13-19 3 $4,582,723 $59,780,381
Jul. 20-26 3 $2,196,193 $61,976,574
Jul. 27-Aug. 2 3 $673,499 $62,650,073
Aug. 3–Aug. 9 - $307,467 $62,957,540

Two years later, the second sequel of the series, Transformers: Dark of the

Moon (2011), became another legend in the Chinese box office. In its 40 days of

release, the film had wrapped up1.08 billion yuan from the Chinese cinemas. It was

the new fastest grossing film in the history of Chinese film market. Its mid-night

release box office of 12 million yuan,359 release day box office of 102 million yuan,

highest daily box office of 112 million yuan and release week box office of 401

million yuan had all became the new records in the Chinese box office.360 Table 6.4

356
Liu, Jia, “Weekly report of the national film market (22/06/09 – 28/06/09)”, Taipingyang Cinema,
<http://www.cinema.com.cn/show.aspx?id=3005&cid=21> [accessed 29 August 2011]
357
Liu, Jia, “Weekly report of the national film market (13/07/09 – 19/07/09)”, Taipingyang Cinema,
<http://www.cinema.com.cn/show.aspx?id=3005&cid=21> [accessed 29 August 2011]
358
Entgroup, Chinese Domestic Box Office, <http://m.entgroup.cn/boxoffice/cn/> [accessed 16
January 2010]
359
Sun, Linlin, “Bian 3 po wuyechang jilu (Transformer 3 set new mid-night record)”, The Beijing
News, 22 July 2011, p.A48.
360
Mtime, Chinese Domestic Film All-time Grosses,
<http://group.mtime.com/12781/discussion/253526/> [accessed 29 September 2011].

190
provides the box office performance of the film in China by week. The box office

figures have been converted to US dollars based on an exchange rate of 6.37:1.

Table 6.4: Weekly Chinese Box Office of Transformers: Dark of the Moon
(2011)361
Date Rank Weekend Gross Gross-to-Date
Jul. 21–24 1 $62,951,334 $62,951,334
Jul. 25–31 1 $58,037,677 $120,989,011
Aug. 1–7 2 $26,499,215 $147,488,226
Aug. 8–14 3 $12,307,692 $159,795,918
Aug. 15–21 4 $6,593,407 $166,389,325
Aug. 22–28 5 $3,218,210 $169,607,535
Aug. 29–Sep. 4 6 $1,436,421 $171,043,956

There was an important characteristic of the box office performance of the three

Transformers films: fast-grossing. The large majority of box office and cinema

attendances happened within the first 2-3 weeks. It is reasonable to assume that such

a characteristic had something to do with the Transformers fandom because fans

have the tendency to see the film as soon as they can possibly do. It explains the

success of mid-night release of the two sequels. As I observed, those who were the

most zealous for Transformers were none other than the OCG. In their nostalgic

activities described in Chapter 2, Transformers and relevant topics were of important

components. In fact, the Chinese media had already sense the significant role that a

group of OCG audiences, the Transformer fans, played in the box office spectacle of

the Transformers series when the first film became a hit in the Chinese cinema. An

article from China Film News emphasised that most of the film’s audiences were

people around their 30s.362 Further, a news report on People’s Daily International

also pointed out that the OCG contributed a lot to the cinema attendances of

361
Entgroup, Chinese Domestic Box Office, <http://m.entgroup.cn/boxoffice/cn/> [accessed 29
September 2011].
362
Ding, Yilan, “Benzhou yinbao bianxing jingang (Transformers to be released this week)”, China
Film News, 12 July 2007, p.017.

191
Transformers (2007).363 The box office explosion of the two sequels was considered

by the media as a result of the audiences’ irrational spending on film

entertainment.364

The success of Transformers was a worldwide phenomenon. In this chapter I

argue that, the film’s success in China was not a simple replication of that from

elsewhere. The root of the success can be traced back to the days when the TV

cartoon series was brought to China and a special audience group that had been

fostered since then.

Science Fiction in Chinese Cinema

In Chapter 2, Chinese children’s films are introduced and categorised into three

distinct types – “little heroes in war”, “good student at school” and science-fiction

films. In previous case studies I compared Chinese children’s films from the first two

categories with selected Hollywood family films. In this chapter, I will elaborate on

Chinese children’s films that involve science fiction. I will explain, from this

particular aspect, the origin and foundation of the OCG’s nostalgia for Transformers

and why the franchise, from its initial TV series to the more recent features films, is

so popular among the OCG audience.

In academia, there have been a lot of attempts to define science-fiction as a

genre. As a matter of fact, the definition is never fixed and unchanging. Keith M.

Johnston in Science Fiction Film (2011) suggests treating science-fiction as “a

popular fictional genre that engages with (and visualises) cultural debates around one

363
Jiao, Yuqing, “Bianxing jingang reyinghou de lengsikao (Some thoughts about Tranformers’
popularity)”, People’s Daily International, 27 July 2007, p.013
364
Liu, Jia, “Weekly report of the national film market (22/06/09 – 28/06/09)”, Taipingyang Cinema,
<http://www.cinema.com.cn/show.aspx?id=3005&cid=21> [accessed 29 August 2011]

192
or more of the following: the future, artificial creation, technological invention,

extraterrestrial contact, time travel, physical or mental mutation, scientific

experimentation, or fantastic natural disaster”.365 In a way, science-fiction films are

often found to present new or expended world view through dramas of the above

topics which are often spiced with thrilling or romantic elements. In this thesis, I will

adopt Johnston’s above definition which is more of a description for science-fiction

films.

In recent years, science-fiction films are showing dominance in Hollywood

blockbusters. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), Iron Man 2 (2010), Avatar

(2009), The Dark Knight (2008) are among the top grossed films in the world’s box

office. What about Chinese science-fiction films? A more interesting question is:

what it was like back to the days when Transformers TV series first came to China?

For the OCG audience group, only the Chinese children’s science-fiction films are

relevant to the study. To have a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese

children’s science fiction films, it is worth mentioning a number of additional titles.

The list is rather short. From 1949 (the foundation of People’s Republic of China) to

1990, only three science-fiction films had been produced for Chinese children

audience. See table 6-1.

Table 6 -1 Chinese Children’s Films with Fantasy Elements

Year Title
1980 珊瑚岛上的死光
The Death Ray on the Coral Island
1988 霹雳贝贝
Pi Li Bei Bei
1990 大气层消失
The Ozone Layer Vanishes

365
Johnston, K.M., Science Fiction Film: A Critical Introduction (London: Berg, 2011), p.1.

193
 What is immediately clear is that, in Chinese cinema, given the total amount of

children’s films produced (see Chapter 2), the number of children’s science-fiction

films is extremely small. Among Chinese film researchers, scholars and practitioners,

there have been discussions about the lack of science fiction, not only in Children’s

films, but in Chinese films in general. Practitioners, such as directors and producers,

often blame the financial and technical difficulties. According to Chinese director

Zhang Yimo, there is hardly any Chinese science-fiction film nowadays because

neither the money nor the special effect technologies are in place to support the

production of such a film.366 Zhang Yimo’s remark does not lack truth in it, but it is

only one aspect of the issue. Film scholar Zhang Zhilu, the author of Pi Li Bei Bei

(1988) and the book History of Chinese Children’s Films, took a step further. He

pointed out two reasons for the lack of science fiction in Chinese films. First, there is

a lack of scientific imagination in the spirit and atmosphere of modern Chinese

literature. Realism is the absolute main stream in the writing of Chinese films and

televisions. Second, Chines film practitioners in general are lack of appreciation for

science fiction and relevant trainings in the production of science-fiction films.367 It

is the combined effect of insufficient support from the outside and unwillingness

from the inside to pursue a more challenging topic that resulted in the current gloomy

status of science-fiction film productions in the Chinese film industry.

I concur with both Zhang Yimo and Zhang Zhilu in this matter because none of

their arguments is untrue. However, perhaps restricted by their profession-oriented

concerns and political position, neither of them has touched the core of the issue. As

366
Zhuanfang Zhangyimou (Exclusive Interview of Zhangyimou), Sina Entertainment,
<http://ent.sina.com.cn/r/2009-12-15/ba2811360.shtml> [accessed 21 Nov. 2011].
367
Zhang, Z.L., ‘Zhongguo haiyoumeiyou kehuandianying (Is there still Science Fiction in Chinese
Film?)’, 851M: Women de Kexuewenhua(Our Science and Culture), 1(2007),
<http://shc2000.sjtu.edu.cn/0712/zghaiyoumeiyouke.htm> [accessed 10 Dec. 2011].

194
a matter of fact, there is a strong drive in Chinese film production. Politics, being the

said drive, are still non-negligible nowadays and were even more so in the past when

most film studios were state-owned. As previously discussed in Chapter 2, most

Chinese children’s films were funded by the government. By examining the films

from “little heroes in war” and “good students at school”, it can be seen that all of

them carry political messages which follows the Party’s propaganda. It is

understandable why the Party chose realistic over fictional stories to deliver these

messages, although it is arguable that the later would have done an equally good if

not better job. As a result, children’s films with clear political purposes were

massively produced. On the contrary, science-fiction films which were not seen as

the appropriate agents to serve the Party’s agenda were only produced in a less

supported and non-scheduled way.

Interestingly enough, despite the extreme shortage in supply, the above listed

children’s science-fiction films were all very well received by the audience.

The Death Ray on the Coral Island (1980) was the first Chinese film that

embraced the science-fiction genre. It was based on a Chinese teen novel of the same

title and was considered the first Chinese “cult film”.368 Film viewer Fangyunan

(internet ID) praises the film “a genuine and sincere attempt”. He also comments that

the setting of the scene was almost at the same level in quality as that of the

contemporary Japanese science-fiction films, if not in scale.369 Viewer Huanxi

(internet ID) writes when recalls the film, “The colours and scene of the 1980s in the

film were like my best childhood dream.”370 Many who have seen the film share the

368
The Death Ray on the Coral Island (1980), Douban, <http://movie.douban.com/subject/1498657/>
[accessed 11 Dec. 2011].
369
Ibid.
370
Ibid.

195
view that the film has made a strong impression in their childhood. On the other side,

many also share another view that the film shows that Chinese science-fiction film at

the time was still very immature.

In Chinese film academia, Pi Li Bei Bei (1988) is considered the first successful

Chinese children’s science-fiction film. 371 Researcher Lin Xuefei gives four factors

for the success of the film: excellent imagination, real fun, implicit education and

quality production. She points out that the power of imagination displayed by the

film is unparalleled among the contemporary Chinese films; on the storytelling, the

writers of the film are able to think from a child’s point view about what would

really entertain the young audience; in terms of education, there is no shouting about

right or wrong in the film but wisdom embedded in the fun; and last but not the least,

the production of the film is of high quality, given that the budget of the film is only

540,000 yuan (less than 70,000 US dollars at the time). The reaction from the

audience supports the view of the academia. On Douban, OCG audience have written

a lot of reviews about the film. “So many years later, I can still totally and

completely remember every scene of the film”, writes Zhuiyi (internet ID) in

2010.372 Viewer Liuxiaoqing (internet ID) praises the imagination of the film, saying

that it is even better than many Chinese productions nowadays (posted on 5th July

2010).373 Many viewers give credit to the writers, the directors and the producers for

creating a children’s film that feels ahead of its time in Chinese cinema.

371
Lin, X.F., ‘Zhongguo ertong kehuan dianying de diyibu chenggong zhi zuo (The first successful
Chinese children’s science-fiction film)’, Journal of Liaoning Educational Administration Institute,
1(2008), 140-142(p.140).
372
Review of Pi Li Bei Bei, Douban,
<http://movie.douban.com/subject/1440283/comments?start=21&limit=20&sort=new_score>
[accessed 11 Dec. 2011]
373
Review of Pi Li Bei Bei, Douban,
<http://movie.douban.com/subject/1440283/comments?start=106&limit=20&sort=new_score> >
[accessed 11 Dec. 2011]

196
 Two years later, Feng Xiaoning, the director of Pi Li Bei Bei (1988), wrote and

directed The Ozone Layer Vanishes (1990). This film received a Special Award from

the Golden Rooster Awards – the highest academe level recognition in the Chinese

film industry. Similar to the previous two films, it was also very popular among the

OCG audience. Apart from a few number of references to overly thrilling scenes,

most reviews posted on Douban are positive.374 Many mentioned that it was the first

film they watched that promoted environmental awareness and the film taught them

the importance to protect the environment.

Two important facts can be learnt by studying the reviews of OCG audience for

the three science-fiction films mentioned above. First, the OCG audience enjoyed the

imaginative elements delivered by science-fictional storylines of the films. Second,

the Chinese children’s science-fiction film made strong impression on the OCG

audience. In a normal film market, there supposed to be a certain level of balance

between the demand and the supply for a certain kind of film. It was not the case for

science-fiction films, or any kind of multimedia entertainment involving science-

fiction elements, in China in the 1980s. On one hand, the craving for science-fiction

films/TVs from the OCG audience was very strong. On the other hand, the supply of

science-fiction multimedia products was extremely inadequate. It was in such

circumstances the Transformer TV series first came to China, to the OCG audience.

Since then, only two additional children’s science-fiction titles have been produced:

Crazy Rabbit (1997) and Dangerous Intelligence (2003). Science-fiction in Chinese

children’s film stayed gloomy until today.

374
The Ozone Layer Vanishes (1990), Douban, <http://movie.douban.com/subject/1528848/>
[accessed 11 Dec. 2011]

197
 At this point, the question about Transformers and the OCG can at least be

partially answered. The initial Transformer TV series had strong appeal to the young

OCG due to its science-fictional nature. The void in Chinese children’s science-

fiction entertainment also amplified its appeal. The reason behind the OCG’s

nostalgia for Transformers has also started to become evident. Nostalgia, although

often understood as an emotional state, is also linked to memories. From the OCG

audience reception for children’s science-fiction films, it is reasonable to believe that

the impression of the Transformers TV series on the OCG had been strong. Apart

from being science-fiction, the Transformers series has its own uniqueness. In the

next section, another important point that makes Transformers special to the OCG

will be discussed.

Transformers Toys: Memories and Self-Fashioned Identities

As described earlier, the purpose of Hasbro’s original Transformers TV series was to

promote the related toy franchise. For Hasbro, the focus was clearly on the toy’s side.

As a result, the aesthetic and cultural achievement of TV series, restricted by the

purpose, was in doubt. For several cultural critics, as quoted by Lincoln Geraghty in

his paper discussing the Transformers fandom, “most animated programs were little

more than poorly drawn, glorified half-hour commercials for action figures and video

games” flooding the children’s toy market in the early part of the 1980s. The

Transformers TV series itself was regarded “characterised by animation which was

uninspired and aesthetically redundant”.375 Here in this thesis, I will not give an

375
Lincoln, G., ‘Repackaging Generation One: Genre, Fandom, and The Transformere as
Adult/Children’s Television’, in The Shifting definitions of Genre: Essays on Labling Films,

198
artistic evaluation of the series or, from a cultural and social aspect, investigate its

contribution to the increased commercialisation of childhood. What is important is

that, despite of its seemingly banal storyline and poor animation, the TV series has

its fans in China – the OCG. The OCG are also fans of the toys. Playing with and

collecting the related toys has been a part of the Transformers fandom. More

importantly, it has played an irreplaceable role in shaping the memories and

identities of the OCG. As Geraghty pointed out, “children who grew up watching and

collecting continue to watch and collect them as adults.” 376

In the previous section, I discussed the condition in which the Transformers TV

series was brought to China. Given the near barrenness of Chinese science-fiction

films and TV, the “banal storyline and poor animation” as seen by the critics could

well be seen as exciting and excellent for the young Chinese audience as they were

immediately glued to their seats. What happened next was in no one’s surprise – the

Transformers toys sale broke the silence of Chinese toy market. According to an

insider from Chinese toy industry, the effect that Hasbro’s Transformers toy brought

to the Chinese toy market was “explosive”.377 Firstly, authentic toys were constantly

sold out in almost all market regions, which was rather impressive due to the fact that

the average Chinese family income at that time was still in 3 digits. Secondly, the

high price band and good sale of the authentic toys encouraged piracy. A market

structure comprised of the genuine toys and counterfeits from high-end to low-end

was formed. Directly resulted from the prosper piracy market, the availability and

Television Shows and Media, ed. by G. Lincoln and M. Jancovich (Jefferson: McFarland & Company,
Inc., Publisher, 2008), pp.181-200.
376
Ibid.
377
Bianxingjingang zai zhongguo: Wanju shichang de shouci baopeng (Transformer in China: The
first rise of the toy market) , China Toy Industry Blog,
<http://blog.tianya.cn/blogger/post_read.asp?BlogID=3749334&PostID=34426652> [accessed 20 Dec.
2011].

199
affordability of “Transformers toys” were greatly increased. More children were able

to get their hands on one of the most popular toys among their peers.

Children who watched the Transformers TV series would natural imagine

themselves part of the fictional universe. For them, the toys were a materialised link

between them and the Transformers world and integrally supported the make-believe

system. In a short focus group I organised in Beijing, an open discussion about the

Transformer toys became the ice-breaker as resonance arose immediately among the

participants. In the discussion, all the participants mentioned that they played the

toys and watched the TV at the same time and tried to transform their toys together

with the cartoon characters on TV. Based on the response of the focus group, their

childhood toys genuine or not, the OCG’s affection for the toys was genuine. “We

only child generation were lonely in our childhood,” said focus group participant

Xiaopan (alias). “In a very long period, the Transformers toys had been my best

friends.”

The toys were not just something to connect the children to the imagined world

but also something that affected their players in real life. Sweetibm (internet alias)

recalled “having a Transformers toy would definitely make you popular among the

other kids”.378 Even with the cheaper counterfeit flooding the market, for most

Chinese children in the 1980s, a Transformers toy, especially a set, was still a luxury.

For those who had one or two individual toys but could not afford the entire set,

often the solution was to play with the other children who have the other individual

toys from the set. “By playing together we could play with more,” Jiongshu (internet

alias) said. “And having a limited edition Transformers toy had sent me to the high

378
Bianxingjingang wanju: Tongnian jiyi zhong de wanju (Transformer Toys: The Toys in Our
Childhood Memories), Douban, <http://www.douban.com/group/topic/23918069> [accessed 21
Dec.2011].

200
place in our circle.”379 During the focus group, participant Suifeng (alias) recalled, in

their little play group, children were ranked the same way as their toys were ranked

in the set. For example, the child who had the “big brother” character toy would play

the big brother of all. “I think we all knew it was pretend play but everyone was very

happy to play along,” said Suifeng. Clearly, these toys were not just toys anymore.

They were not just their link to the fictional world but also an agent in real-world

social activities. For the OCG, the toys had become an active part of their lives.

Maybe they had not yet realised it, but these toys had also been a remedy to the

OCG’s social problems.

Transformers toy playing was a significant part of the childhood memories of a

large number of the OCG. As a matter of fact, “memory” is the keyword of almost

all Transformers related articles written by OCG writers. “A vivid memory”, “the

best childhood memory”, “memories of a generation” frequently appear in these

articles. On a different level, the OCG also found their social attachment through the

toys. As the only child in their families, the OCG’s childhood had been lonely. The

toys had given them a means to connect to the others, which was hardly done in any

other ways. Through the forming of peer groups, perhaps for the first time in their

life, toy playing helped them to find a place in their little society. “Transformer toys

are a spiritual totem that belongs to our generation,” Sweetibm (internet alias)

claimed.380 As time went by, these memories and childhood identities might have

subsided but not gone forever. The recent nationwide nostalgia for the 1980s led by

the OCG was built on these memories and self-fashioned identities. At the focus

379
Women congwei likai: Ershi de bianxingjingang pengyou (We have never left: Transformers, Our
Childhood Friends), Micro Sci-fi, <http://www.guokr.com/article/51600> [accessed 21Dec. 2011].
380
Bianxingjingang wanju: Tongnian jiyi zhong de wanju (Transformer Toys: The Toys in Our
Childhood Memories), Douban, <http://www.douban.com/group/topic/23918069> [accessed 21
Dec.2011].

201
group, most participants acknowledge that they were under pressure in their lives,

and the toys and the original TV series would remind them the time when “life was

much simpler”. When talking about their motive to go to the Transformers film

Suifeng (alias) said, “I didn’t need a motive; just felt that I should go. It was a film

for us.”

Having understood the origin of the OCG’s nostalgia for the Transformers and

how they were driven to the cinema for the Transformer films, it is time to look into

how they have received the films and how the reception have been influenced by

their nostalgia.

Memories, Nostalgia and Reception

The word nostalgia was invented by Johannes Hofer in 1678 using a Greek

compound consisting of nóstos, meaning “homecoming”, and álgos, meaning “pain,

ache”. The word was initially used to describe media symptoms displayed by Swiss

mercenaries fighting away from home. The modern meaning of the word,

“sentimental longing for things that are past” as defined in Oxford Dictionary of

English 3rd edition (19 Aug 2010), was first recorded 1920.381 In this thesis, the use

of the term is strictly confined to its modern definition.

Studies on nostalgia are actively conducted with different objectives in different

domains, such as psychological, social, cultural and media studies. Works from

different domains are seldom self-contained but are often found to be related.

Psychologists usually concern themselves with nostalgia seeing it as psychological

381
Nostalgia, Online Etymology Dictionary,
<http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=nostalgia&allowed_in_frame=0> [accessed 3rd April
2012]

202
activities. They seek to answer what they are (contents), when they happen (triggers)

and why they happen (functions, if there is any). In a series of experiments, Tim

Wildschut and colleagues found that the contents of nostalgia contain more

expressions of positive than negative affect; nostalgia occurs in response to negative

mood and the discrete affective state of loneliness; nostalgia bolsters social bonds,

increases positive self-regard, and generates positive affect. In media studies, the

studies of nostalgia are often linked to the uses of nostalgia in media forms, such as

films. In Recycled Culture in Contemporary Art and Film: The Uses of Nostalgia, the

author Vera Dika, building on the work by Fredric Jamesons on nostalgia films,

studies the works of film that use past images and genre in oppositional ways, which

effects a form of resistance to the pull of past in relation to Postmodernism.382 In the

work by Andreas Bohn, nostalgia in media is seen as a means of preserving cultural

memories including media themselves to counterbalance the hype of progress caused

by new media.383 This thesis discusses the effect of nostalgia, in the context of media

studies, from a different prospective to the above two studies by studying the

nostalgia of a particular audience group – the OCG Transformers fans – and how it

influences their reception to the film Transformers (2007).

Nostalgia is always linked to memory in respect to both the power of the mind

by which facts can be remembered and the thing, the event etc. that is remembered.

In this thesis, as briefly discussed in Chapter 2, the meanings of memory are twofold

– individual and collective – for both of the above two aspects of memory. On the

individual level, one can create memories by remembering his/her own experience.

382
Dika, V., Recycled Culture in Contemporary Art and Film: The Uses of Nostalgia (Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 2003), p.1-23.
383
Bohn, A., ‘Nostalgia of the media/in the media’, in Self-reference in the Media, ed. by W. Nöth
and N. Bishara (Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 2007), pp.143-153.

203
According to Edmund Husserl (German, philosopher, 1859 – 1938) and as

referenced by Bohn, this is achieved by maintaining a continuous stream of

consciousness consisting of states of mind that are linked to each other.384 For works

in media research, including Janet Staiger’s Media Reception Studies, the discussion

of memories is largely focussed on individual/personal memories. In this section, I

will extend the study of memories to both its individual and social/collective levels

and draw from the analysis of internet texts and the observations of a focus group

how the memories of OCG individuals and furthermore, the collective memories of

the group influenced their reception of the film Transformers (2007).

The media in China already sensed the connection between the film’s success

and the popularity of the Transformers franchise in the 1980s. New Century Weekly

published two featured articles in this regard. One of them gave an historical review

on Transformers franchise, including the toys and cartoon series.385 The other one

emphasised the significance of the franchise to Chinese people born in the 1980s

(effectively the OCG), pointing out that, it was the Transformers that introduced to

the children about automobiles when cars were still not widely owned, even for

affluent urban families in China in the 1980s. The article also described several

common situations back to the days. The children were always in front of the

television before 6.30pm every day to get ready for the cartoon. “If you want a

Transformer, you have to study hard to get a good mark in you exam.” Many

children had made deals like this with their parents in the hope of a Transformers

toy.386 More discussions emphasising the connection are found in Chinese movie

384
Ibid.
385
Mei, Qian, “Bianxing jingang chengzhangji (The development of Transformers franchise)”, New
Century Weekly, 17 (2007), pp.38-39.
386
Tang, Yong, “Zhonguoren weishenme xihuan bianxing jingang (Why do Chinese love the
Transformers)”, New Century Weekly, 17 (2007), pp.42-43.

204
magazines. Movie Review attributed Transformers’ success to its huge fandom of the

franchise in China. It claimed that, the marketing campaign of the cartoon series, the

toys and the other related products of the Transformers franchise was very successful

and greatly influenced the Chinese children in the 1980s. Another article from

Popular Cinema examined the popularity of the Transformers franchise back to the

1980s. It claimed that watching Transformers cartoons and collecting Transformers

toys and other related products from the franchise were among the favourite

activities of children at the time. The review described Transformers as the

“miraculous food” that fed the soul and accompanied the growing up of a

generation.387 Movie View’s article titled “Everybody Has a Companion Made of

Steel” claimed that, it was the Transformers who brought the modern culture of

automobiles to the Chinese children.388 Movie Literature used “yesterday once more”

to describe the film. It observed that when “Autobots, transform, and roll out” was

said once again by Optimus Prime in the film, many of the audience could not help

but burst into tears.389

The media text above provided some very interesting observations which

indicated a connection between the overwhelmingly positive reception of the film

and the popularity of the original cartoon and related products in China back to the

1980s. However, the discussions based on these observations lacked insights to this

matter by overlooking the fact that it was actually the memories of the cartoons/toys

and the nostalgic feelings of bringing back these memories that played a central part

in the phenomenon. More importantly, the memories and nostalgia had evolved to
387
Yiduo, ‘Renxing liangxiang bianxingjingang (Transformers Film)’, Popular Cinema, 14(2007), 54-
55(p.55).
388
Anon., ‘Meigeren douyou yige gangtie huoban (Everybody Has a Companion Made of Steel)’,
Movie View, 339(2007), 20-21(p.20).
389
Qi, Y., ‘Mengjing chongxian! Qicheren, bianxing, chufa! (Review of Transformers)’, Movie
Literature, 18(2007), 36-37(p.36).

205
the social/collective memories and nostalgia of a group, which in return, influenced

the reception of individual group members. The said group consists of Transformers

fans from the OCG. In order to study how the group memories and nostalgia had

influenced their receptions to the film, I conducted analysis of text obtained from

online forums/blogs. A focus group was also organised, which provided first-hand

text as well as observations.

The largest two online communities for Transformers fans in China, TFCLUB390

and TFG2391, both had their forums extended with new sections dedicated to the

discussions of the 2007 Transformers film. Some other popular Chinese online

communities, including Mtime392, Douban393, Tieba (Baidu)394, also added special

sections for the film. As a matter of fact, discussions about the film on these

platforms started well before the film was released and were still on going as of July

2011.

Many keywords in the audience generated text are “memory-related”, such as

“memory” itself, “remember/remembrance”, “recall” and etc. It can be seen clearly

from the text that the impression that the 1980s cartoon left in the memory of these

individuals is very strong.

“I can’t remember when I saw Hei Mao Jing Zhang (Captain Black-Cat, classic

Chinese cartoon series) or Saint Saiya (Japanese cartoon series with high popularity

in China) for the first time, but the night I first saw Transformers on TV – the not-so-

390
TFClub, <http://www.tfclub.com/> [accessed 12 October 2010].
391
TFG2, <http://www.tfg2.com/> [accessed 12 October 2010].
392
Mtime, Transformers, <http://www.mtime.com/group/transformers/discussion_32/new/> [accessed
12 October 2010].
393
Douban, Transformers, <http://www.douban.com/subject/1794171/> [accessed 12 October 2010].
394
Baidu Tieba, Transformers, <http://tieba.baidu.com/f?kw=%B1%E4%D0%CE%BD%F0%B8%D5>
[accessed 12 October 2010].

206
spacious living room, the 14-inch television and the small green stool – is still so

vivid in my memory just like it was yesterday.” – Aslan (internet alias)395

The text above by Aslan shows: first, the strength of the memory (like it was

yesterday); second, that the cartoon held a special position in his/her memory (by

comparing it with the other similar entities); last but not the least, that the memory

was given a mark of an era. The memory of Aslan for the Transformer cartoon is

expanded to a cultural and social snapshot of a particular period of time in his/her

childhood.

“Going to the cinema? For me it felt more like going back to the good old days!”

– Biaoge (alias, focus group participant)

The text above by Biaoge is very representative among his/her peers. When

describing these memories that they have about the Transformers cartoons, their

expressions were almost entirely positive. Although these memories reminded them

of the time when their families were not as affluent as nowadays, on some level,

these memories were from the simpler and better days. There was a sentimental

moment during the focus group after Biaoge gave the above remarks. “I miss the

days when watching a 30-minute cartoon could make me as happy as I could be”,

said another focus group participant Suifeng (alias).

Memories of individuals are the foundation of collective memories. The text by

these individuals displays strong group characteristics. An OCG audience,

Viennavirus (internet alias) said, “We see the Transformers as an assembly of

memories, memories that belong to our generation.”396 First-person plural forms

395
Feihui guoqu: ping bianxingjingang (To the past: review of Transformers), Baidu,
<http://hi.baidu.com/fwastsgguvbguzq/item/212658d23b17dfef3dc2cbbf> [accessed on 4th Mar. 2009]
396
Mai dian huiyi (Buy some memories), Douban, <http://movie.douban.com/review/1180362/>
[accessed on 4th Mar. 2009]

207
such as “we”, “us” and “our(s)” are frequently found in an individual’s text. Putting

it into context, the “we” used in the above text is not a “royal we” but a display of

strong sense of attachment to the group. Unlike individual memories, there is no such

functioning body part like the brain for a group to store and process their collective

memories. A group has to rely on a strategy to maintain the continuity of its social

states and hence the memories. “Glorification” of the past, as such a strategy, is

widely observed in the text generated by OCG Transformers fans. Deeming the past

“the better days”, the 1980s Transformers cartoon the “classics” are both

embodiment of this strategy. A friend of mine who went to the cinema to watch the

film told me, when Optimus Prime (leader of Autobots) entered the scene, the whole

cinema stood up and applauded. Through the glorification of the group hero, the

group existence and its memories are strengthened, so is the sense of belonging of

the group members. Being nostalgic has also become a glorified characteristic of the

OCG. Text like “OCG only”, “re-post if you are post-80s” has become a catch phrase

and often appears in the nostalgic articles and posts on the internet.

Driven by the glorified memories, their reception of Transformers (2007) was no

longer as simple as responding to any other media text. The film was decoded by the

fans into cultural and social symbols that mapped into their own memories and

identities. Modern techniques of film production including special effect are not the

focus of their reviews. For the fans, the most important aspect of the film was the

fact that it was there rather than how it was presented in term of film making.

“My eyes went wet during the scene in which Bumblebee talked to the boy for

the first time.” – Heitaoer (alias, focus group participant)

Similar to what is suggested by the other audience-generated text I referenced in

this section, the impact of the film on the fans was mostly emotional, despite of the

208
apparent visual-audio achievement of the film. It is not difficult to speculate the

reason for Heitaoer’s emotional outburst for that scene: had she not been lonely as

the only child of the family? Had she, as a child, not wished the plastic toy could

become real and talk to her? Had she not been longing for a real companion with

whom he/she could communicate? What Heitaoer saw was a scene in which a robot

attempted to communicate with a human being but subconsciously, the scene was

decoded into symbols of “loneliness”, “companion” and “communication” which

agreed with her state of mind as a child and brought the state to the front of her

consciousness. One may argue that the text above was a negative expression because

it brought back bad memories. In my opinion, the effect of the recall was mostly

positive because it provided a release from these negative feelings, which was made

evident by Heitaoer’s overall positive reception to the film.

In this chapter, I examined and discussed the success of Transformers films in

China and how the collective memories of the fans for the original TV cartoons had

influenced the reception of the more recent films. By watching the cartoons and

playing with the toys, Transformers were “burned into the memories” of a generation,

not only because the audience were lack of options but also because the roles these

robot characters had played in their life – the companions of their personal life and

the glue of their social life. As they grew, these memories were pushed back from

the front of their consciousness. Two decades later, the arrival of the Transformers

film revived these memories. As the owners of the nation’s mainstream culture

nowadays and with the help of the internet, the group strengthened their collective

memories and social existence. In return, the strengthened social existence and

identity of the individuals of the group influenced the reception of the Transformer

209
films. What was received by the fans from the films was not simply a luxuriance of

visual effect made possible by the modern filming technologies but symbolic

resonance to their personal and social (collective) memories around which their

identities had been shaped and were being re-shaped.

210
Conclusions

The main work of this research was finished in 2011 before the release of

Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the third instalment of the Transformers film series.

To emphasise the continued strong performance of the series in the Chinese film

market, Chapter 6 Transformers: the Power of Memories was slightly updated with

some industrial statistics of the film. The success of the film was not a surprise to the

author nor, it seemed, to those Chinese companies who marketed solely in mainland

China and were willing to pay millions of dollars per second for their product

placement in the film. As the research was being concluded, new development of

events continued to support one of the author’s fundamental claims, that is, the OCG

audience group, as a significant force of media consumption in China, maintains

strong audience-media relationships with Hollywood family films – excellent

examples of American family entertainment.

The only child generation, the American family entertainment and the

relationship between the two had been the three basic objects of the research. In

terms of objective, the study of the audience group and the media had been to

support that of the relationship. The relationship between the OCG and the American

family entertainment did not exist from the dawn of time. As a matter of fact, the two

objects emerged within their own social and cultural boundaries between which

ideologies and perceptions, on both individual and social levels, were very different

and, in certain aspects, contradictory. Naturally, one would wonder how the

relationship came into being.

211
 Since its establishment in 1949, the People’s Republic of China had been

operating a closed economy until dramatic economic reform took place in late 1970s.

Collectively known as the Open Door Policy, the series of policies was put forward

by the Chinese government to attract Western technology and investment. The Policy

was always linked to its economic significance – it was a series of economic policy

after all. However, if we shift our eyes away from the skyscrapers and the ever

growing modern cities, and focus our thoughts on the people, on how they had

changed in the past three decades, the Policy’s influence on the cultural aspect of the

society would become apparent. From television programmes to films, more and

more Western multi-media products made their way to the Chinese audience. On the

outside, the Western trademark promised advanced production and novel

entertainment experience. Almost intuitively, imported products were linked to better

quality. For example, the Chinese audience would refer to their own films as “film”

but the imported films as “big film”. The imported blockbusters revived the nation’s

dying film market by inviting the audience back to the cinemas. More importantly,

they revived the audience’s interest in films. On the inside, the imported media, such

as the Hollywood blockbusters, were produced under the influence of a different

culture and were inherently infused with it. The audience, when in contact with the

media, might not be actively looking for these cultural elements. Nonetheless, the

cultural messages were still broadcast to them through the media. Trading barrier and

censorship were employed by the Chinese government to protect the local production

and to counter the Western cultural influence. On the economic side, even with the

Open Door Policy in place, China was still not a free market. Hollywood and their

products had to cross thick barriers or to stay completely outside. On the cultural side,

although the censorship was effective in preventing contradictory cultural and

212
political messages from being publicly on display, it did not eliminate the fact that

different voices existed. The censorship, to certain extent, only reinforced people’s

awareness of that.

The only child generation emerged in a society that was undergoing dramatic

changes in both economic and cultural aspects. Comparing to their progenitors, they

were faced with new challenges within their families, in their education and even

regarding gender. Encounters with these issues became part of their childhood

memories. To many of them, instead of being a place to dissolve the pressure, family

was where the pressure came from. As the only children of their families, meticulous

care and pressure came in one package. These “little emperors”, to their parents,

were their families’ “only hope”. Born in the baby boom that the society failed to

prepare for, the competition they had to face for their share of resource had been

fierce. The OCG were dissatisfied by the nation’s mass education in which everyone

was taught the same thing and evaluated the same way. The only thing mattered was

the marks of the final exams for college and university admission. The negative

feeling about education only deepened in realisation of their powerlessness to break

away from the system. Special attention needed to be paid to the female members of

the generation. Although the government was in constant campaign to publicise

gender equality, discrimination towards females (although in subtle) still existed.

Usually, a family responded to this social situation by hoping for a baby boy over a

baby girl. If they had a girl, they would try to raise her to be a tough and competitive

“tomboy”. The society forced an unnatural way for the OCG females to construct

their gender cognition. Their struggles were made observable in popular culture

where female figures with male characteristics became popular among the female

audience. The most important rationale behind separating the only children born in

213
the 1980s in urban China to the rest of the population was the unique social

experiences that they share from their youth to today. The shared experiences formed

the collective memories of the group. In recent years, a series of nostalgic activities

took place within the group as the social means to preserve the collective memories.

The shared experiences, of negative and positive, were glorified. On the one hand,

the negative aspects of their childhood were seen as the marker of a heroic age; on

the other hand, the positive aspects of the past became something for them to long

for in the present. As a tribute to their childhood, the nostalgic activities fostered a

strong sense of belonging within the group and also strengthened the social identities

of both the individuals and the group. As media consumers, the OCG should not be

seen as “empty vessels” into which meanings simply flow and fill (education model),

nor should they be considered powerless in their encounter with the media (power

model). In this research, the OCG individuals were conceptualised as having

developed attributes of some sophistication from the social context. They would

respond to media through their decoding of the media text by reading the meanings

that fit into their own socially generated schemata – family, education, gender and

memories. In this thesis, this claimed is supported by four case studies.

The first case study on Disney and their family film The Lion King (1994)

exemplified how a group of OCG audience responded to media text through the

“family” schema. The Lion King was the first film whose media texts were used by

an OCG audience group to address their real life issues. Not only did they find the

adventure and growth of the young King easy to relate, the father-son relationship

displayed in the film also provided them with solutions or at least consolations to

problems in their own lives. On this level, the communicational exchange between

the film and this group of OCG audience was dominated by the maker of the media

214
text. However, this did not imply a power or education model in the audience-media

relationship. The fact that the OCG audience replied on their own social experiences

to interpret the meaning of the media text suggested a mediation model in which the

OCG audience used the media as a mediated access to the world.

Mulan (1998) was another Disney animated feature selected as a case through

which cultural enrichment and its implication in reception was studied. The “gender”

schema for OCG female audience group was also covered by this case. The film was

an excellent example of how a store originated from one culture was reconstructed

and encoded by media makers from a different culture. The study revealed that,

cultural displacement to a story originated from the audience own cultural

background did not necessarily induce negative reception or an oppositional way of

decoding from the audience. However, since the audience were “subject matter

experts” themselves, they negotiated with the media text and found their own

meanings and pleasures within the text. The female OCG audience were found to

relate Mulan with themselves. “Who is that girl I see, staring back right at me?”

Through the decoding of the media text, self-reflection among the female OCG were

introduced. They found the Disney interpretation of heroine a much more intimate

figure than the original, not only because they found it easy to relate the experiences

of the heroine to their own but also because the heroine represented their idea self,

the self that many of them were unable to achieve. Again, the received media texts

were put into the audience’s own socially generated framework for reference but not

in an oppositional way. The female OCG audience received the media texts based on

their own social context and reflect the decoded meanings back to the gender issues

they experienced in their world.

215
 The third case study, featuring the Harry Potter franchise, investigated how a

group of OCG audience responded to media text using their “education” schema. Not

to be confused with the education model of audience-media relationship, this

“education” schema was formed through the audience’s own experience in education

and was in place to influence their reception of media texts. Because of the schema,

the audience were able to abstract meanings from media text of a fantasy film and

relate them to their own lives. It was interesting to observe that, from such a vast

Harry Potter world of magic, from the main conflictions and storylines, the OCG

audience chose to focus on the education system in the story, a tributary of the entire

story construct. The case study of Harry Potter suggested that, although the audience

did not oppose the principles in the meanings proposed by the makers of the media

texts, they were still able to neglect the intention of the makers by displacing the

focus of the texts. The negotiation between the audience and the media text was

again exemplified.

As one of the inspirations of the research, the Transformers multi-media

franchise case was to study the influence of memories on the reception of media texts.

Unlike the other media selected by the earlier case studies presented in this thesis, the

Transformers were in contact with a group of OCG audience for a period of time in

their childhood and made a come-back recently. As a matter of fact, it was the film

Transformers (2007) that ignited the group’s nostalgic activities. Being part of their

collective childhood memories, the original Transformers television series and the

toys had become an anchor to which the Transformers fans clung to maintain their

connection to the past. Unlike individuals, a group needed to reply on social

strategies to preserve their collective memories. For the OCG Transformers fans, it

was done through the glorification of the past. The old days were seen as the simpler

216
and better days; the old products were considered the classics. They cherished the

memories and made them an integral part of their identities. Driven by the nostalgia

of their glorified past, they refused the influence of the makers of the media. The

meanings of the media texts intended by the makers hardly mattered. Instead, they

took the initiative to decode the media into symbolic resonance to their memories

and social identities.

The only child generation was a social creation. In a society where both the domestic

and external forces were in play, neither had achieved the dominant position in the

process of this creation. Born and grown up in the everlasting economic and cultural

tension between the Eastern and the Western world, they acquired their own

sophistication in their social characteristics. Such sophistication was reflected in their

relationship with the Western media. They reached out to the media as their mediated

access to the world where conflictions were balanced. The way they interacted with

the media required them to not be passive recipients of any meanings imposed to

them; instead, they needed to become meaning acquirers who had to decide if they

should accept, decline or negotiate with the meanings that the senders of the media

texts had intended.

As a member of the only child generation herself, the author took it as a great

privilege to have been able to study this special and interesting group of people and

their relationship with Western media. The author hoped the findings presented in

this thesis could bring China’s only child generation to the attention of more thinkers

and practitioners of the media world and the knowledge and understanding for this

special audience group could keep growing for years to come.

217
Appendix A. Imported American Films (Revenue-Sharing Basis) and Top 10 Chinese Domestic Films (1994-2001)

Imported American Films Top 10 Chinese Domestic Films

Year Box Office Box Office

Production Production
Film Title Genre (million Film Title Genre (million
Company Company
yuan RMB) yuan RMB)

1994 Chongqing
History Changchun
(1) Action Negotiation 7.57
The Fugitive War Film Studio
Crime Warner Bros. 重庆谈判
亡命天涯 25.8
Thriller Pictures
Drama La Peinter Biography Shanghai
4.82
画魂 Drama Film Studio

The Long March History Yunnan Minority

4.2
金沙水拍 War Film Studio

Romance
Green Snake Shanghai
Based On 3.89
青蛇 Film Studio
Tale

The New Legend of

Martial Arts Beijing
Shaolin 3.81
Costume Film Studio
新少林五祖

Deadful Melody Martial Arts Shanghai

3.41
六指琴魔 Costume Film Studio
 The Dragon
Martial Arts
Chronicles - The Shanghai
Costume 3.35
Maidens Film Studio
Drama
天龙八部

Romance
The Lovers Nanhai
Based On 3.18
梁祝 Motion Pictures
Tale

It's a Wonderful Life Comedy Shenzhen

3.1
大富之家 Romance Film Studio

Burning Honglian
Action Shanghai
Temple 3.06
Drama Film Studio
火烧红莲寺

1995 China Film Co-

True Lies Action Twentieth In the Heat of the Sun Drama
(6) 102.0 Production 50.0
真实的谎言 Comedy Century-Fox 阳光灿烂的日子 Teen
Corporation

Die Hard 3:
With a Action
Drama
Crime Twentieth Red Cherry Youth
Vengeance 47.0 War 40.0
Thriller Century-Fox 红樱桃 Film Studio
虎胆龙威 3 – Teenage
Violence
纽约大劫案

219
 The Lion Family Qi Qi Shi Bian
Walt Disney History Changchun
King Animation 41.3 (July 7 Incident) 33.0
Pictures Drama Film Studio
狮子王(G) Musical 七七事变

Shanghai Triad
Speed Action Twentieth Drama Shanghai
37.8 摇啊摇，摇到外婆 9.07
生死时速 Drama Century-Fox Crime Film Studio
桥

Action Don
Drama
Bad Boys Comedy Simpson/Jerry Blush Beijing
32.8 Based On 7.2
绝地战警 Crime Bruckheimer 红粉 Film Studio
Novel
Thriller Films

Hong Chen Nanhai

Forrest Gump Paramount Romance
Comedy Drama 19.6 (Human Society) Motion Pictures 5.5
阿甘正传 Pictures Drama
红尘 Company

Warrior Lanling Fantasy Shanghai

4.0
兰陵王 Drama Film Studio

Peng De Huai Zai

San Xian
(Peng De Huai History Beijing
3.8
Went down to grass- Drama Film Studio
roots)
彭德怀在三线

220
 Bei Gao Shangang
Ye
Drama Emei
(TheAccused 3.24
Peasant Film Studio
Uncle Shangang)
被告山杠爷

Jing Hun
(The Spirit of a Drama Zhujiang River
2.51
Policeman) Hero Film Studio
警魂

1996 Twister Action Universal Kong Fan Sen Biography Shandong

54. 5 >30.0
(10) 龙卷风 Thriller Pictures 孔繁森 Hero Film Studio

The Emperor's
Broken Arrow Twentieth Costume Pacific Motion
Action Thriller 50.5 Shadow
断箭 Century-Fox Drama Pictures Company
秦颂

Jumanji
勇敢者的游 Family Interscope Jiao Liang(Stack up Military August First
47.7 >10.0
戏 Adventure Communications against)较量 Documentary Film Studio
(PG)

The Rock
Action Hollywood Her Majesty Is Fine Costume Fujian
勇闯夺命岛 47.7
Adventure Pictures 太后吉祥 Drama Film Studio
(R)

221
 Mission The Bewitching
Action Paramount Romance Zhujiang River
Impossible 45.1 Braid
AdventureThriller Pictures Drama Film Studio
谍中谍 大辫子的诱惑

The Bridges
of Madison Drama Warner Bros. Meeting in the Dark Romance Shanghai
39.5
County Romance Pictures 人约黄昏 Arty Film Studio
廊桥遗梦

Meng Duan Nan

Drama
Waterworld Action Sci-Fi Universal Yang Zhujiang River
34.0 Crime
未来水世界 Thriller Pictures (Waterloo Nan Yang) Film Studio
Tragedy
梦断南洋

Jian fei lüxing tuan

Outbreak Drama Sci-Fi Warner Bros. (Weight Reducing Shenzhen Vanke
32.6 Comedy
恐怖地带 Thriller Pictures Trip) Film and TV Co.
减肥旅行团

Toy Story
Family Walt Disney Liu Hu Lan Biography Shanxi
玩具总动员 31.8
Animation Pictures 刘胡兰 Heroine Film Studio
(G)

A Walk
Twentieth Flying Tigers Action Emei
in the Clouds Drama Romance 20.5
Century-Fox 飞虎队 Crime Film Studio
云中漫步

222
1997 Jurassic Park:
(7) The Lost
World Family
Universal Opium War War Emei
侏罗纪公园 Adventure Sci-Fi 72.1 80.0
Pictures 鸦片战争 History Film Studio
2： Thriller
失落的世界
(PG-13)

Dante's Peak Universal Red River Valley Romance Shanghai

Action Drama 47.6 50.0
天崩地裂 Pictures 红河谷 Tibet Film Studio

Comedy
Eraser Warner Bros. Keep Cool Guangxi
Action Drama 45.8 Based On 46.0
蒸发密令 Pictures 有话好好说 Film Studio
Novel

Da Zhuan Zhe
Speed 2
Action Romance Twentieth （A Turn of China's War August First
生死时速 2 30.4 40.0
Thriller Century-Fox War of Liberation） History Film Studio
大转折

Courage The Days Without Drama

Action Mystery Fox 2000 Youth
Under Fire 25.0 Lei Feng Biography 30.0
War Pictures Film Studio
生死豪情 离开雷锋的日子 Hero

Space Jam After Divorce

Family Warner Bros. Drama Youth
空中大灌篮 24.1 离婚了，就别再来 25.0
Animation Sport Pictures Comedy Film Studio
(PG) 找我

223
 Sabrina Comedy
Paramount Dragon Town Story Action Tianjing
龙凤配 Romance 20.0
Pictures 龙城正月 Swordsmen Film Studio
(情归巴黎) Drama

Jin Ji Jiu Zhu

Drama
(Succor of Shanghai
/ Based on
Emergency) Film Studio
Reportage
紧急救助

Zui E(Sin) Drama Shanghai

罪恶 Crime Film Studio

Great Marching History August First

6.0
大进军 War Film Studio

1998 Zhou En Lai

(7) Wai Jiao Feng Yun The Central
(The Success of Biography
Titanic Twentieth Newsreel and
Drama Romance 359.5 History 31.2
泰坦尼克号 Century-Fox Premier Zhou En Lai Documentary Film
Politics
in Diplomacy)周恩来 Studio
外交风云

Saving Comedy
Private Ryan Action Drama Paramount The Dream Factory Romance Beijing Forbidden
82.3 33.0
拯救大兵瑞 War Pictures 甲方乙方 New Year’s City Film Company
恩 Hit

224
Deep Impact Disaster Paramount Spicy Love Soup Comedy Xi an
51.3 30.0
天地大冲撞 Sci-Fi Pictures 爱情麻辣烫 Romance Film Studio

Home Great Friend :

Family Zhou En Lai Biography
Alone 3 Twentieth Zhejiang
Comedy 40.2 History 25.0
小鬼当家 3 Century-Fox 周恩来——伟大的 Film Studio
Politics
(PG) 朋友

Batman and
Robin Romance
Family Warner Bros. A Time to Remember Beijing Forbidden
蝙蝠侠 20.0 Revolution 22.0
Action Adventure Pictures 红色恋人 City Film Company
和罗宾 Drama
(PG-13)

Volcano
Hai Zhi Hun Army Shanghai Paradise
活火熔城 Action Thriller Twentieth
17.8 (Spirit of The Sea) Hero Film and Television
（火山爆 Drama Century-Fox
海之魂 Drama Group
发）

Daylight Going To School

十万火急 Children
Action Adventure Universal with Dad on My Beijing Forbidden
15.9 Family
（龙出生 Thriller Pictures Back City Film Company
Drama
天） 背起爸爸上学

225
 Working for My
Xiaoxiang
Wife Comedy
Film Studio
给太太打工

Liu Shao Qi :
The Central
The Chairman of Biography
Newsreel and
People's Republic of History
Documentary Film
China Politics
Studio
共和国主席刘少奇

Great Marching :
Sweeping the
Southwest History August First
15.0
War Film Studio
大进军：席卷大西
南

1999 Star Wars,

(6) EpisodeⅠ: Comedy
The Phantom Family
Be There Or Be Romance Beijing Forbidden
Action Adventure
Menace Lucasfilm 33.0 Square New Year’s City 41.0
Fantasy
星球大战前 不见不散 Hit Film Company
Sci-Fi
传1
（PG）

Beijing New
Entrapment Crime Romance Twentieth Not One Less Drama
29.0 Picture 30.0
偷天陷阱 Thriller Century-Fox 一个都不能少 School
Film Co.

226
 Family Shanghai
Rush Hour Action Comedy New Line Lotus Lantern
25.0 Children Animation 29.0
尖峰时刻 Crime Cinema 宝莲灯
Animation Film Studio

Enemy of
the State Action Drama Touchstone National Anthem Drama Xiaoxiang
22.0 >10.0
国家公敌 Thriller Pictures 国歌 Arty Film Studio
（R）

Mulan Family Lovers' Grief Over Drama Shanghai Paradise

Walt Disney
花木兰 Animation 11.0 the Yellow River War Film and Television >10.0
Pictures
（G） Musical 黄河绝恋 Romance Group

Hao Han San Tiao

Tarzan Ban Comedy
Family Walt Disney China Film Group
泰山 11.0 (Three and a Half Drama >10.0
Animation Pictures Corporation
（G） Men)
好汉三条半

Liang Xin Drama

Tianshan
(Conscience) Based on >10.0
Film Studio
良心 Reportage

A Tree in the House Comedy Xi an

>10.0
没事偷着乐 Drama Film studio

227
 The Road Home Drama Beijing New
>5.0
我的父亲母亲 Romance Picture Film Co.

Nan Fu NüZhu Ren

(A man takes charge Comedy Changchun
>5.0
of the women issues) Drama Film studio
男妇女主任

2000 Action Drama Universal Fatal Decision Crime Shanghai

U-571 29.0 130.0
(12) War Pictures 生死抉择 Politics Film studio

Dinosaur Comedy
Family
Walt Disney Sorry Baby Drama Beijing Forbidden
恐龙 Animation 27.0 35.0
Pictures 没完没了 New Year’s City Film Company
（PG） Adventure
Hit

Gladiator Universal A Sigh Drama Beijing

Action Adventure 25.0 >30.0
角斗士 Pictures 一声叹息 Romance Film Studio

Mission
Action Adventure Paramount Shower Comedy Xi an
Impossible II 23.0 30.0
Thriller Pictures 洗澡 Drama Film Studio
碟中谍 2

The General's Shanghai Paradise

Crime Drama Paramount Never Say Divorce Drama
Daughter 21.0 Film and Television >10.0
Thriller Pictures 说好不分手 Romance
西点揭秘 Group

228
Stuart Little Family
Columbia Crash Landing Adventure Shanghai
精灵鼠小弟 Adventure 20.8 >7.0
Pictures 紧急迫降 Drama Film Studio
（PG） Comedy

The Matrix Warner Bros. Breaking the Silence Drama Zhujiang River
Action Sci-Fi 17.0 >7.0
黑客帝国 Pictures 漂亮妈妈 Mother son Film Studio

Double Are You Lonesome Comedy Shanghai Paradise

Paramount
Jeopardy Thriller Crime 15.0 Tonight New Year’s Film and Television >5.0
Pictures
双重阴谋 相约 2000 Hit Group

Knock Off MDP Get out Your Secret Romance Zhejiang

Action Thriller >5.0
迎头痛击 Worldwide 说出你的秘密 Drama Film Studio

Perfect Storm Warner Bros. Shadow Magic Drama Beijing

Drama Action >3.0
完美风暴 Pictures 西洋镜 Romance Film Studio

Big Momma's
Action Comedy Twentieth
House
Crime Century-Fox
超级奶妈

The Bone Crime

Columbia
Collector Mystery
Pictures
神秘拼图 Thriller

229
2001 Huayi Brothers and
(14) Comedy Taihe Film
Pearl Harbor Action
Touchstone Big Shot's Funeral Drama Investment Co.,Ltd.
珍珠港 Drama Romance 105.0 110.0
Pictures 大腕 New Year’s &
(PG-13) War
Hit Columbia Pictures
(Asia)

The Marriage
Vertical Limit Columbia Comedy Beijing Forbidden
Action Adventure 29.6 Certificate 33.0
垂直极限 Pictures Drama City Film Co.
谁说我不在乎

The Mummy Action Drama

Universal Gua Sha Treatment Beijing Forbidden
Returns Adventure 29.0 Chinese 27.0
Pictures 刮痧 City Film Co.
木乃伊归来 Fantasy Medicine

Yuzhou yu Ren
Science Beijing Science &
Rush Hour 2 New Line (Universe and
Action Comedy 15.0 Education Education Film 21.0
尖峰时刻 Cinema Human)
Documentary Studio
宇宙与人

Proof of Life Castle Rock Roots and Branches Drama Tianshan Film
Action Thriller 4.8 20.0
生命的证据 Entertainment 我的兄弟姐妹 Family Studio

Chicken Run Family

DreamWorks Purple Sunset War Beijing Forbidden
小鸡快跑 Animation 8.0
SKG 紫日 Humanity City Film Co.
（G） Comedy

230
 Charlie's
Action Adventure Columbia Red Turn History Shanghai
Angels 8.0
Comedy Pictures 走出西柏坡 Politics Film Studio
霹雳天使

Shan Ling Xiong

The 6th Day Horror Guangzhou City
Action Sci-Fi Phoenix Pictures Meng 6.0
第六日 Film Studio
闪灵凶猛

Meet the
Parents Drama
Comedy Universal Happy Day Guangxi
New Year’s 5.5
拜见岳父大 Romance Pictures 幸福时光 Film Studio
Hit
人

Enemy Zhen Xin Drama Shanghai Paradise

Action Drama Paramount
at the Gates (Wholehearted) Based on Film and Television >2.0
War Pictures
兵临城下 真心 Reportage Group

Swordfish Action Thriller Warner Bros.

剑鱼行动 Crime Pictures

The Mask
Action Adventure TriStar
of Zorro
Western Pictures
佐罗的面具

Lara Croft:
Action Adventure Paramount
Tomb Raider
Fantasy Pictures
古墓丽影

231
 Antitrust
Metro-Goldwyn-
反托拉斯行 Thriller Crime
Mayer
动

232
Appendix B. Imported American Films and Top 10 Chinese Domestic Films (2002-2010)

Imported American Films Top 10 Chinese Domestic Films

Year Box Office Box Office

Production
Film Title Genre (million Film Title Genre Production Company (million
Company
yuan RMB) yuan RMB)

2002 Harry Potter and

the Sorcerer's Stone Family Action Beijing New Picture
(16) Warner Bros. Hero
Adventure 59.0 Adventure Film Co. & Elite 250.0
哈利波特 Pictures 英雄
Fantasy Drama Group Enterprises
与魔法石(PG)

The Lord of
Family
the Rings: Drama
Action Together 21 Century Shengkai
The Fellowship of New Line Cinema 56.0 Father-son 13.0
Adventure 和你在一起 Film
the Ring Violin
Fantasy
指环王(PG-13)

Star Wars: Episode II Family

– Action Crime Huayi Brothers and
The Missing Gun
Attack of the Clones Adventure Lucasfilm 45.0 Drama Taihe Film Investment 12.0
寻枪
星球大战 2 Fantasy Mystery Co.,Ltd.
(PG) Sci-Fi

233
 Spider-Man Family Fall in Love
Romance Beijing Forbidden City
蜘蛛侠 Action Columbia Pictures 43.0 at First Sight
Drama Film Co.
(PG-13) Sci-Fi 一见钟情

Action Charging out

The Bourne Identity Drama August First
Mystery Universal Pictures 15.2 Amazon
谍影重重 Adventure Film Studio
Thriller 冲出亚马逊

Stuart Little 2 Family

I Love You Romance Xi an
精灵鼠小弟 2 Comedy Columbia Pictures 12.0
我爱你 Drama Film Studio
(PG) Fantasy

E.T. the Extra-

Terrestrial: 20th Family
Universal Studios Ghosts Yunnan Minority Film
Anniversary Adventure 11.0 Horror
Home Video 凶宅幽灵 Studio
Celebration Sci-Fi
外星人(PG)

Chief Executive
Shrek Family Beijing
DreamWorks SKG 6.5 Officer Drama
怪物史瑞克(PG) Animation Film Studio
首席执行官

25 Kids and a
Planet of Action Beijing Oriental Sunny
Twentieth Century- Dad Family
the Apes Adventure Culture Exchange
Fox 二十五个孩子一 Comedy
决战猩球 Sci-Fi Co.,Ltd.
个爹

234
 The One Action Gada Meilin Drama Beijing Forbidden City
Revolution Studios
宇宙追缉令 Sci-Fi 嘎达梅林 Adventure Film Co.

Jurassic Park III Action

侏罗纪公园 3 Adventure Universal Pictures
(PG-13) Sci-Fi

The Princess Diaries Family

Walt Disney
公主日记 Comedy
Pictures
（G） Romance

Ice Age Family

Twentieth Century-
冰川世纪 Animation
Fox
(PG) Comedy

Windtalkers Drama Metro-Goldwyn-

风语者 War Mayer

The Tuxedo Action

DreamWorks SKG
神奇燕尾服 Comedy

Bad Company Action Touchstone

临时特工(PG-13) Comedy Pictures

235
2003 Huayi Brothers and
Harry Potter and the Black
(17) Family Taihe Film
Chamber Comedy
Adventure Warner Bros. Cell Phone Investment Co.,Ltd.
of Secrets 52.0 New Year’s 53.0
Fantasy Pictures 手机 &
哈利波特与密室 Hit
Mystery Columbia Pictures
(PG) Drama
(Asia)

Huayi Brothers and

Action Warriors of Action Taihe Film
The Matrix Reloaded
Adventure Warner Bros. Heaven and Adventure Investment Co.,Ltd.
黑客帝国： 43.0 41.0
Sci-Fi Pictures Earth Drama &
重装上阵
Thriller 天地英雄 Swordsmen Columbia Pictures
(Asia)

The Matrix Action Infernal Affairs Action

Revolutions III Media Asia
Adventure Warner Bros. Crime
41.66 Films Ltd.& 32.0
黑客帝国： Sci-Fi Pictures 无间道 III·终极 Drama
Tianjin Film Studio
矩阵革命 Thriller 无间 Thriller

New Year’s
Family Media Asia
Finding Nemo Hit
Animation Walt Disney Cat and Mouse Films Ltd. &
海底总动员 33.8 Drama 23.0
Adventure Pictures 老鼠爱上猫 Changchun
(G) Comedy
Comedy Film Studio
Swordsmen

236
 China Film Co-
Terminator 3: Action Drama Production
Zhou Yu's Train
Rise of the Machines Sci-Fi C-2 Pictures 28.2 Romance Corporation & Hong 20.0
周渔的火车
终结者 3 Thriller Arty Kong Glory Top
Properties

Pirates of the
Caribbean: Family
The Curse of the Action Walt Disney Heroic Duo Drama Sil-Metropole
27.0 14.0
Black Pearl Adventure Pictures 双雄 Action Organization Ltd.
加勒比海盗 Fantasy
(PG-13)

The Lord of
the Rings: Family
Action Warm Spring Drama Shanxi
The Two Towers New Line Cinema 24.0 12.0
Adventure 暖春 Village Film Studio
指环王：
Fantasy
双塔奇兵(PG-13)

Action
The Italian Job Deng Xiao Ping Pearl River
Crime Paramount Pictures 17.0 Biography 11.0
偷天换日 邓小平 Film Co.
Thriller

Charlie's Angels: Full Action Love for All One Hundred Years
Romance
Throttle Adventure Columbia Pictures 15.0 Seasons of Film Company & 10.0
Comedy
霹雳天使 2 Comedy 百年好合 Tianjin Film Studio

237
 Romance
Catch Me If Biography Jet Tone Film &
Sound of Colors Drama
You Can Crime DreamWorks SKG 10.0 Shanghai 7.0
地下铁 Comic
我知道你是谁 Drama Film Group
Adapt.

Daredevil Family
Twentieth Century-
超胆侠 Action 9.0
Fox
（PG-13） Fantasy

Action
The Core David Foster
Adventure 8.9
地心抢险记 Productions
Thriller

Hulk Family
绿巨人浩克 Action Universal Pictures 8.2
（PG-13） Sci-Fi

Family
X-Men 2:
Action Twentieth Century-
X-Men United 3.0
Adventure Fox
X 战警 2
Sci-Fi

Sweet Home
Alabama Comedy Touchstone
情归阿拉巴马 Romance Pictures
(PG-13)

238
 The Recruit
Action Touchstone
谍海计中计
Thriller Pictures
(PG-13)

Maid in Manhattan Comedy

Revolution Studios
曼哈顿灰姑娘 Romance

2004 The Lord of

the Rings: Action
(16) Family
The Return of Comedy Huayi Brothers
Action Kung Fu Hustle
New Line Cinema 87.0 Fantasy & Columbia Pictures 170.0
the King Adventure 功夫
New Year’s (Asia)
指环王： Fantasy
Hit
王者归来(PG-13)

Action
Action
The Day After House of Flying Romance Beijing New Picture
Adventure Twentieth Century-
Tomorrow 82.4 Daggers Drama Film Co. & Elite Group 250.0
Sci-Fi Fox
后天 十面埋伏 Ancient Enterprises
Thriller
Costume

Action
Drama
A World Without Romance Huayi Brothers and
Troy History Warner Bros.
70.0 Thieves Drama Taihe Film 120.0
特洛伊 Romance Pictures
天下无贼 New Year’s Investment Co.,Ltd.
War
Hit

239
 Spider-Man 2 Family
New Police Story Action China Film Group
蜘蛛侠 2 Action Columbia Pictures 52.0 43.0
新警察故事 Drama Corporation
(PG-13) Sci-Fi

Harry Potter and the

Prisoner of Azkaban
哈利波特与 Family
Warner Bros. Zhang Si De Beijing Forbidden City
Adventure 36.6 Biography 38.0
阿兹卡班的 Pictures 张思德 Film Co.
Fantasy
囚徒
(PG)

Adventure Romance Jet Tone Film &

King Arthur Touchstone
History 26.0 2046 Fantasy Shanghai 30.0
亚瑟王 Pictures
War Sci-Fi Film Studio

Drama
Cold Mountain Magic Kitchen Romance Media Asia
Romance Miramax Films 26.5 25.0
冷山 魔幻厨房 Comedy Films Ltd.
War

The Twins Effect

Master and Action Shenzhen
Twentieth Century- II Drama
Commander Drama 20.4 Film Studio & 23.0
Fox 千机变Ⅱ花都大 Fantasy
怒海争锋 War JCE Movies Ltd.
战

240
 Family
Garfield Drama Beijing Rosat Film &
Comedy Baober in Love
加菲猫 New Line Cinema 20.96 Mystery TV Production 15.0
Based On 恋爱中的宝贝
(PG) Romance Co. Ltd.
Comic

Action Deng Xiao

The Rundown Shanghai
Adventure Columbia Pictures 15.79 Ping·1928 Biography 14.0
丛林奇兵 Film Group
Comedy 邓小平·1928

I, Robot Action Twentieth Century-

14.5
机械公敌 Sci-Fi Fox

Paycheck Sci-Fi
Paramount Pictures 13.65
致命报酬 Thriller

Shrek 2 Family
怪物史瑞克 2 Animation DreamWorks SKG
(PG) Comedy

S.W.A.T. Action
Columbia Pictures
反恐特警组 Crime

The Bourne Action

Supremacy Mystery Universal Pictures
谍影重重 2 Thriller

241
 Ladder 49 Action
Touchstone
烈火雄心 Drama
Pictures
（PG-13） Thriller

2005 Harry Potter Action

(17) Drama
and the Family
Goblet of Fire Fantasy
Adventure Warner Bros. The Promise 21 Century
94.9 Ancient 179.5
哈利波特 Fantasy Pictures 无极 Shengkai Film
Costume
与火焰杯 Mystery
New Year’s
(PG-13) Hit

Star Wars: Episode Family Action

III : Revenge of Action Adventure China Film
The Myth
the Sith Adventure Lucas film 75.54 Ancient Group & JCE 95.50
神话
星球大战前传： 西 Fantasy Costume Entertainment Ltd.
斯的反击(PG-13) Sci-Fi Fantasy

Action Beijing Ciwen Digital

Mr. & Mrs. Smith New Regency Seven Swords Action
Comedy 61.98 Oriental Film & TV 83.45
史密斯行动 Pictures 七剑 Drama
Romance Production Co.

Action
Adventure
War of the Worlds Initial D Drama
Sci-Fi Paramount Pictures 52.99 Media Asia Films Ltd. 63.0
世界之战 头文字 D Comic
Thriller
Adapt

242
 Family A Chinese Tale Comedy
National Treasure Walt Disney Huayi Brothers &
Action 35.92 Story Fantasy 50.0
国家宝藏（PG） Pictures Xi an Film Studio
Adventure 情颠大圣 Romance

The Legend
Action Seoul Raiders Comedy Media Asia
of Zorro Columbia Pictures 30.76 41.0
Adventure 韩城攻略 Action Films Ltd.
佐罗传奇

Riding Aolne for

Madagascar Family
Thousands of Drama Beijing New Picture
马达加斯加 Animation DreamWorks SKG 28.19 30.0
Miles Father Son Film Co.
(PG) Comedy
千里走单骑

Musical
Crime
The Interpreter Working Title Perhaps Love Romance Astro-Shaw Television
Drama 27.24 29.0
翻译风波 Films 如果·爱 New Year’s Broadcasts Ltd.
Thriller
Hit

Stealth Action Ren Chang Xia Shanghai Huayu Film

Columbia Pictures 26.40 Biography 27.0
绝密飞行 Sci-Fi 任常霞 Company Ltd.

Anacondas: The Hunt Sheng Si Niu Yu

for Horror Ru
the Blood Orchid Beijing Forbidden City
Thriller Screen Gems 25.33 (The Life of Biography 20.0
Film Co.
狂蟒之灾 2： Adventure Niu Yu Ru)
搜寻血兰 生死牛玉儒

243
 The Incredibles Family
Walt Disney
超人总动员 Animation 21.0
Pictures
(PG) Sci-Fi

Batman Begins Action

Warner Bros.
蝙蝠侠： Adventure 20.7
Pictures
侠影之谜(PG-13) Crime

Fantastic Four Family

Twentieth Century-
神奇四侠 Fantasy 20.0
Fox
(PG-13) Sci-Fi

Shark Tale Family

鲨鱼故事 Animation DreamWorks SKG 15.20
(PG) Comedy

Action
Flight of the Phoenix Twentieth Century-
Adventure 14.62
凤凰劫 Fox
Drama

xXx: State of Action

the Union Crime Columbia Pictures 14.0
极限战士 Adventure

The Polar Express Family

Warner Bros.
(G) Animation 9.0
Pictures
极地特快 Fantasy

244
2006 Drama
(17) Adventure
Drama Curse of the
The Da Vinci Code Ancient Beijing New Picture
Mystery Columbia Pictures 105.83 Golden Flower 240.0
达芬奇密码 Costume Film Co.
Thriller 满城尽带黄金甲
New Year’s
Hit

Family Action
King Kong
Adventure The Banquet Drama Huayi Brothers &
金刚 Universal Pictures 102.31 130.0
Drama 夜宴 Ancient Media Asia Films Ltd.
(PG-13)
Romance Costume

Mission: Impossible Action Fearless Action China Film Group

3 Adventure Paramount Pictures 81.2 (Huo Yuan Jia) Drama & Hero China 102.0
谍中谍 3 Thriller 霍元甲 History International

Huayi Brothers
Poseidon Disaster Warner Bros. Rob-B-Hood Action
68.93 & JCE Entertainment 94.0
海神号 Thriller Pictures 宝贝计划 Comedy
Ltd.

Family
Superman Returns Huayi Brothers &
Action Warner Bros. Battle of Wits Action
超人归来 62.56 Sundream Motion 62.0
Adventure Pictures 墨攻 War
(PG-13) Pictures
Sci-Fi

245
The Chronicles of
Narnia : The Lion, Family Action Mandarin Films
Dragon Tiger
the Witch and the Action Walt Disney Drama Distribution Co. &
61.0 Gate 51.3
Wardrobe Adventure Pictures Comicbook Beijing Poly-bona Film
龙虎门
纳尼亚传奇 Fantasy Adapt Publishing Co. Ltd.
(PG)

Garfield: A Tail of Crime Media Asia

Confession of
Two Kitties Family Twentieth Century- Drama Films Ltd. &
57.65 Pain 43.0
加菲猫 2 Comedy Fox Thriller Beijing Poly-bona Film
伤城
(PG) Publishing Co. Ltd.

Eight Below Family Drama China Film Group &

Walt Disney The Knot
南极大冒险 Adventure 55.70 Romance Emperor Motion 36.0
Pictures 云水谣
(PG) Drama War Pictures

Ice Age II : The Family

Drama
Meltdown Animation Twentieth Century- The Tokyo Trial Shanghai
36.53 History 24.0
冰川世纪 2 Adventure Fox 东京审判 Film Studio
War
(PG) Comedy

Miami Vice Action Comedy Focus Films &

Crazy Stone
迈阿密风云 Crime Universal Pictures 32.0 Crime Warner China Film HG 23.5
疯狂的石头
Drama Gangster Corporation

246
 When a
Horror
Stranger Calls Screen Gems 24.0
Thriller
来电惊魂

World Trade Center Drama

Paramount Pictures 24.0
世贸中心 History

Firewall Crime Warner Bros.

22.15
防火墙 Thriller Pictures

X-Men:
The Last Stand Family
Action Twentieth Century-
X 战警 3： 22.0
Adventure Fox
背水一战
Sci-Fi
(PG-13)

Family
Cars
Animation Walt Disney
赛车总动员 21.45
Comedy Pictures
(G)
Sport

The Sentinel Action Twentieth Century-

21.0
一级戒备 Crime Fox

247
 Family
Open Season
Animation Sony Pictures
丛林大反攻 16.0
Adventure Animation
(PG)
Comedy

2007 Drama
(17) Family War
Transformers
Action Assembly Novel Huayi Brothers &
变形金刚 DreamWorks SKG 282.32 248.0
Adventure 集结号 Adapt Media Asia Films Ltd.
(PG-13)
Sci-Fi New Year’s
Hit

Action
Spider-Man 3 Family Drama /
The Warlords
蜘蛛侠 3 Action Columbia Pictures 149.71 War China Film Group 201.1
投名状
(PG-13) Sci-Fi New Year’s
Hit

Harry Potter and

the Order of the Drama
Family
Warner Bros. Lust, Caution Sex Shanghai
Phoenix Adventure 145.15 138.0
Pictures 色戒 Novel Film Group
哈利波特和 Fantasy
Adapt
凤凰社(PG-13)

248
 Pirates of the
Caribbean: Family
Drama
Action Walt Disney Protégé
At World's End 126.0 Thriller China Film Group 65.0
Adventure Pictures 门徒
加勒比海盗 3： Drug
Fantasy
世界的尽头(PG-13)

Casino Royale Action Guangzhou

Invisible Target Action
007 大战 Adventure Columbia Pictures 92.70 Ying Ming 34.0
男儿本色 Crime
皇家赌场 Thriller Media Co.

Family
Night at the Museum Twentieth Century- Secret Drama
Adventure 64.84 EDKO Film 37.0
博物馆奇妙夜(PG) Fox 不能说的秘密 Romance
Comedy

TMNT Family
Comedy
(Teenage Mutant Animation Imagi Animation Crossed Lines
36.80 New Year’s China Film Group 33.0
Ninja Turtles) Adventure Studios 命运呼叫转移
Hit
忍者神龟(PG) Comedy

Eragon Family
Twentieth Century- Flash Point Action Beijing Poly-bona Film
龙骑士 Adventure 35.0 31.0
Fox 导火线 Drama Publishing Company
(PG) Fantasy

Action Action
Ghost Rider Blood Brothers China Film Co-
Fantasy Columbia Pictures 29.3 Drama 29.68
灵魂战车 天堂口 Production Corporation
Thriller Romance

249
 Live Free Action Action
Twentieth Century- Brothers Beijing Poly-bona Film
or Die Hard Crime 29.0 Drama 28.7
Fox 兄弟之生死同盟 Publishing Company
虎胆龙威 4 Thriller Crime

Déjàvu Action
Touchstone
时空线索 Drama 28.0
Pictures
(PG-13) Sci-Fi

Shooter Action
Paramount Pictures 28.0
生死狙击 Crime

The Guardian Action

Touchstone
惊涛大冒险 Adventure 25.0
Pictures
(PG-13) Drama

The Bourne Action

Ultimatum Adventure Universal Pictures 23.0
谍影重重 3 Thriller

Ratatouille Family
Walt Disney
美食总动员 Animation 21.2
Pictures
(G) Comedy

The Devil
Comedy Twentieth Century-
Wears Prada 18.0
Drama Fox
穿普拉达的女王

250
 Comedy
No Reservation Warner Bros.
Drama 13.5
美味情缘 Pictures
Romance

Babel
Drama Paramount Pictures 13.0
通天塔

Comedy
Click
Drama Columbia Pictures 12.0
人生遥控器
Fantasy

Shrek the Third Family

怪物史瑞克 3 Animation DreamWorks SKG 11.0
(PG) Comedy

2008 Romance
Kung Fu Panda Family If You Are The
(20) DreamWorks Comedy Huayi Brothers &
功夫熊猫 Animation 186.0 One 325.00
Animation New Year’s Media Asia Films Ltd.
(PG) Action 非诚勿扰
Hit

Quantum
of Solace Action History
Red Cliff: Part I China Film Group
Adventure Columbia Pictures 142.0 Drama 321.00
007：大战 赤壁（上） & Beijing Film Studio
Thriller War
量子危机

251
 Hancock Action Horror
Painted Skin Shanghai
全民超人 Fantasy Columbia Pictures 108.04 Action 230.00
画皮 Film Group
汉考克 Sci-Fi Drama

Action Sci-Fi China Film Group

Iron Man CJ7
Adventure Paramount Pictures 92.0 Fantasy & Columbia Pictures 203.00
钢铁侠 长江七号
Sci-Fi Family Film Production Asia

The Chronicles of Action Fantasy

The Forbidden Huayi Brothers &
Narnia: Prince Adventure Walt Disney Adventure
82.93 Kingdom Casey Silver 188.00
Caspian 纳尼亚传奇 Fantasy Pictures Comedy
功夫之王 Productions
2 Family Action

Forever China Film Group

10,000 B.C. Adventure Warner Bros. Drama
81.0 Enthralled & Emperor Motion 113.70
史前一万年 Fantasy Pictures Biography
梅兰芳 Pictures

Action Comedy Shanghai Film Group &

Wanted Kung Fu Dunk
Crime Universal Pictures 73.1 Sport Emperor Motion 112.78
通缉令 大灌篮
Thriller Romance Pictures

Action
National Treasure: The Mummy: Fantasy China Film Co-
The Book of Secrets Adventure
Walt Disney Tomb of the Action Production Corporation,
Comedy 67.36 109.00
国家宝藏 2 Pictures Dragon Adventure Shanghai Film Group &
Mystery
：夺宝秘笈 木乃伊 3 Thriller Universal Pictures
Thriller

252
 The Water Horse: Action
Family Biography Shanghai Film Group &
Legend of the Deep Ip Man
Adventure Revolution Studios 62.48 History Mandarin Films Co. 96.30
尼斯湖水怪 叶问
Fantasy Drama Ltd.
：深水传说

Three Kingdoms:
Action Action
The Incredible Hulk Resurrection of China Film Group
Sci-Fi Universal Pictures 59.91 History 69.90
无敌浩克 the Dragon & Bona Film Group
Thriller War
三国之见龙卸甲

Action
Journey to the Center Adventure
of the Earth (3D) Comedy New Line Cinema 59.49
地心历险记 3D Sci-Fi
Thriller

Animation
Bolt （3D） Walt Disney
Adventure 44.0
闪电狗 3D Pictures
Comedy

The Golden Compass Family

黑暗物质 Adventure New Line Cinema 35.67
：黄金罗盘 Fantasy

Speed Racer Action Warner Bros.

24.14
极速赛车手 Sport Pictures

253
 Hellboy II: The
Golden Army Action
Adventure Universal Pictures 16.40
烈焰奇侠
Fantasy
：黄金军团

Next Action
Paramount Pictures 15.26
预见未来 Sci-Fi

Atonement Drama
Universal Pictures 14.91
赎罪 Romance

Fool's Gold Comedy Warner Bros.

13.66
淘金俏冤家 Romance Pictures

Babylon A.D. Action Twentieth Century-

10.0
生死新纪元 Sci-Fi Fox

27 Dresses Comedy Twentieth Century-

0.1
27 套礼服 Romance Fox

2009 Action The Founding China Film Group

History
（19） 2012 Adventure Columbia Pictures 466.00 of A Republic & China Movie 420.00
Drama
Drama 建国大业 Channel

254
 Transformers:
Action Bodyguards Action China Film Group
Revenge of the
Adventure Paramount Pictures 455.00 and Assassins History & Shanghai Media and 293.00
Fallen
Sci-Fi 十月围城 Drama Entertainment Group
变形金刚 2

A Simple
Ice Age: Dawn of the Animation
Twentieth Century- Noodle Story Comedy Beijing New Picture
Dinosaurs Action 156.90 261.00
Fox 三枪拍案惊奇 Costume Film Co.
冰川世纪 3 Adventure

Harry Potter and the Adventure History

Warner Bros. Red Cliff: Part II China Film Group
Half-Blood Prince 哈 Family 156.35 Drama 260.00
Pictures 赤壁（下） & Beijing Film Studio
利波特 6 Fantasy War

G.I. Joe: Action Thriller

The Message Huayi Brothers & Taihe
Rise of Cobra Adventure Paramount Pictures 130.50 Drama 216.00
风声 Film Investment
特种部队 Sci-Fi Mystery

Night at the Museum:

Battle of the Action City of Life and History China Film Group
Twentieth Century-
Smithsonian Adventure 121.32 Death 南京，南 Drama & Media Asia Films 172.00
Fox
博物馆 Comedy 京 War Ltd.
奇妙夜 2

Action
Terminator Salvation The Halcyon Silver Medalist Comedy China Film Group
Drama 112.32 108.5
终结者 2018 Company 疯狂的赛车 Adventure
Sci-Fi

255
 On His Majesty's
Up Animation Walt Disney Comedy China Film Group
90.76 Secret Service 103.00
飞屋环球记 Adventure Pictures Costume & Mega-Vision Pictures
大内密探零零狗

X-Men Origins:
Wolverine Action Huayi Brothers &
Twentieth Century- Look For A Star
Adventure 80.47 Romance Media Asia 102.30
X 战警前传：金刚 Fox 游龙戏凤
Sci-Fi Films Ltd.
狼

Action Sophie's
Dragonball Evolution Twentieth Century- Romance China Film Group
Adventure 65.00 Revenge 94.00
七龙珠 Fox Comedy & CJ Entertainment
Fantasy 非常完美

Action Thriller Bona Entertainment &

Star Trek Overheard
Adventure Paramount Pictures 58.85 Action Sil-Metropole 90.00
星际迷航 窃听风云
Sci-Fi Drama Organisation

Niu Qi Chong
Valkyrie Drama Metro-Goldwyn- Tian Animation
57.30 Shanghai Media Group 85.50
刺杀希特勒 History Mayer Pictures 喜羊羊与灰太狼 Family
之牛气冲天

This Is It Document
迈克尔.杰克逊 ary Columbia Pictures 48.26
就是这样 Music

256
 Madagascar 2 Animation DreamWorks
34.00
马达加斯加 2 Adventure Animation

Monsters Animation
DreamWorks
vs. Aliens Action 32.20
Animation
大战外星人 Adventure

Knowing Mystery Summit

31.83
神秘代码 Sci-Fi Entertainment

Fast & Furious Action

Universal Pictures 31.00
赛车风云 Crime

The Taking of Action

Pelham 1 2 3 骑劫地 Crime Columbia Pictures 30.15
下铁 Thriller

Action
G-Force Walt Disney
Adventure 26.55
豚鼠特工队 Pictures
Comedy

2010 Action Let The Bullets Emei Film Studio &

Avatar Twentieth Century- Comedy
（22） Adventure 1378.70 Fly Emperor Motion 664.70
阿凡达 Fox Action
Fantasy 让子弹飞 Pictures

257
 Action
Inception Warner Bros. Aftershock Drama Huayi Brothers &
Adventure 457.14 647.75
盗梦空间 Pictures 唐山大地震 China Film Group
Sci-Fi

Alice in Wonderland Adventure Romance

If You Are The
Family Walt Disney Comedy Huayi Brothers &
爱丽丝 226.40 One 2 非诚勿扰 473.50
Fantasy Pictures New Year’s Media Asia Films Ltd.
梦游仙境 2
Hit

Detective Dee
Harry Potter and the and
Deathly Hallows: Adventure the Mystery Action
Part 1 Drama Warner Bros. of the Phantom History
221.10 Huayi Brothers 295.50
Fantasy Pictures Mystery
哈利波特与死圣 Flame
Mystery Costume
（上） 狄仁杰之通天帝
国

Mandarin Films
Distribution Co. &
Action Action
The Expendables Ip Man 2 Beijing ShengShi
Adventure Millennium Films 213.06 Biography 232.34
敢死队 叶问 2 HuaRei Film
Thriller History
Investment &
Management Co.

Action Drama
Iron Man 2 Sacrifice Stellar Megamedia
Adventure Paramount Pictures 176.37 History 196.30
钢铁侠 2 赵氏孤儿 & Shanghai Film Group
Sci-Fi Costume

258
 Clash of Action Action
Warner Bros. Little Big Soldier Bona Entertainment &
the Titans Adventure 175.18 Adventure 160.77
Pictures 大兵小将 JCE Movies
诸神之战 Fantasy Comedy

Prince of Persia: The

Action Just Call Me Costume
Sands of Time 波斯 Walt Disney
Adventure 158.22 Nobody 大笑江 Action Bona Film Group 158.95
王子 Pictures
Fantasy 湖 Comedy
：时之刃

Resident Evil: Action Under the

Romance Beijing New Picture
Afterlife Adventure Impact Pictures 143.20 Hawthorn Tree 144.13
Drama Film Co.
生化危机 4 Horror 山楂树之恋

Shanghai Film Group &

Toy Story 3 Animation Walt Disney 14 Blades Action
110.90 Mediacorp Raintree 143.64
玩具总动员 3 Family Pictures 锦衣卫 Costume
Pictures

Animation
How to Train Your DreamWorks
Adventure 91.24
Dragon 驯龙记 Animation
Comedy

Knight Action
Twentieth Century-
and Day Adventure 90.90
Fox
危情谍战 Comedy

259
 Shrek Animation
DreamWorks
Forever After Adventure 88.08
Animation
怪物史瑞克 4 Comedy

Sherlock Holmes Action

Warner Bros.
大侦探 Adventure 81.74
Pictures
福尔摩斯 Crime

The Spy Action

Next Door Comedy Relativity Media 69.74
邻家特工 Family

Unstoppable Action Twentieth Century-

67.52
危情时速 Thriller Fox

The Sorcerer's Action

Walt Disney
Apprentice Adventure 61.22
Pictures
魔法师的学徒 Comedy

Wall Street: Money

Edward R.
Never Sleeps Drama 49.83
Pressman Film
华尔街 2

Action
Robin Hood
Adventure Universal Pictures 45.00
罗宾汉
Drama

260
 Legend of the
Animation
Guardians: The Owls Warner Bros.
Adventure 30.80
of Ga'Hoole Pictures
Fantasy
守卫者传奇

Action
The Last Airbender
Adventure Paramount Pictures 29.91
最后的风之子
Fantasy

Percy Jackson & the Action

Lightning Thief Adventure Fox 2000 Pictures 29.10
神火之盗 Fantasy

Sources:
China Film Yearbook (1981-2010), Beijing: Publishing Group of China Film Yearbook.
China Film Weekly/News (Zhongguo Dianying Bao, in Chinese), the film trade paper made by China Film Archive.
The official website of China Film Group Corporation: http://www.chinafilm.com/
Entgroup, Chinese Domestic Box Office: http://m.entgroup.cn/boxoffice/cn/
Box Office Mojo: http://www.boxofficemojo.com/
IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/
Rosen, S. 2002: “The wolf at the door”: Hollywood and the film market in china from 1994-2000. In E.J. Heikkila and R. Pizarro (ed.), Southern
California and the World. Westport: Praeger, p.49-78.

261
Appendix C. Disney Focus Group

Date: 16th May 2009

Duration: 3pm – 5pm

Venue: Group meeting room at a popular coffee shop (Sculpting in Time) in Beijing.

Participants: With the help of disneybox.com, an unofficial internet forum for

Chinese Disney fans, five post-80s were invited to the focus group. They were either

working or studying in Beijing at the time. Unfortunately, all participants were male.

Questions Duration Remark

1. When you see “Disney” what comes into your Introduction
mind first? How would you introduce Disney to 10 min
the others (friends, families)?
2. What Disney films/televisions have you seen? General
Can you name your favourite ones? Why do you discussion
like them? 20 min
3. Have you used materials from Disney
films/televisions in your English study? If yes,
what were they? Were they provided by your
teachers or did you find them yourself? Do you
think they are helpful?
4. Have you seen the film Mulan? Which episode? Mulan Not as
Have you seen it multiple times? How many session: expected
times? How do you like it? How would you rate 40 min was due to
it (0-10)? What do you like the most about this allocated to lack of
film? Mulan female
5. Is Mulan in the film different from what you discussion. participan
originally know about this character? If yes, However, ts.
what’s the difference? What do you think about due to lack of
Disney’s modification? Which one do you interest,
prefer, the Disney one or the original one? discussion
6. Have you seen any Chinese film that you find is was cut short
similar to Mulan? If yes, in what way? Do you and finished
remember any female protagonist in Chinese within 20
children’s films/televisions? min.
7. Do you like the princesses in Disney films? Do
you think Mulan falls into this category?
8. Have you seen The Lion King? Which episode? The Lion
Have you seen it multiple times? How many King session:
times? How do you like it? How would you rate Planned
it (0-10)? What do you like the most about this duration for

262
 film? this session
9. Have you seen any Chinese film that you find is was 40 min.
similar to The Lion King? If yes, in what way? Extended to
10. Apart from entertainment, what else have you 50 min to
got from The Lion King? Have you learnt accommodate
anything? What have you learnt? heated
11. Do you admire Simba and his experience? Do discussion.
you ever picture yourself as him? Do you see
yourself from him? In what way?
12. Besides Mulan and The Lion King, is there 20 min
anything else about Disney animation films you
would like to share? (e.g. 3D vs. 2D)
13. Any question to ask me?

263
Appendix D. Transformers Focus Group

Date: 8th June 2012

Duration: 8pm – 9.30pm

Venue: Qingqing Cafe, Tsinghua University, Beijing

Participants: Four participants were invited to the focus group. All of them were

active members of the Transformers board of SMTH (one of the most influential

university BBS (Bulletin Board System, a popular form of internet forum among

college students)). They were all Tsinghua University graduates, now working and

living in Beijing.

Questings Duration Remark

1. Why do you go to the SMTH Transformers Introduction
Board and what do you normally do there? session:
2. Do you consider yourself a Transformers fan? If 15 min
yes, how long has it been?
3. Imagine you are one of the Transformers, who
will you be?
4. Have you seen the original Transformers series? TV session:
If yes, what do you think of the series? 25 min
5. When was the last time you watch the series?
6. Can you describe a scene that gives you the
deepest impression?
7. Have you ever owned a Transformers toy? Do Toy session: Extremely
you still have them? Do you remember how 25 min engaged
much they cost? discussion.
8. How did you play with them when you were
little? By yourself or with the others?
9. Have you bought any new ones recently?
10. Which of the Transformers films have you seen? Film session:
How do you like it? 25 min
11. Where did you see the film? When and with
whom?
12. Describe your favourite scene of the film.
13. What’s your opinion on the Chinese product
placement in the film?

264
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