Amazing China – a smash hit in Chinese film market

"Amazing China," a 90-minute documentary, has become a real hit in the Chinese film market. It has raked in over 27 million yuan (4.27 million US dollars) at the national box office up until March 14, becoming the highest-grossing documentary in the country, according to the China News Service. 

Amazing China recorded a series of achievements China has made since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, demonstrating the country’s powerful strength in scientific, technological, diplomatic and military fields. 

FAST, the world's largest radio telescope, located in southwest China’s Guizhou Province, appears in the documentary and reflects China’s advancement in science and technology. The giant telescope is used for observing the interstellar interaction about tens of billions light years away from the earth.

[Photo: CCTV.com]

Blue Whale 2, the world’s largest maritime drilling platform, demonstrates the strength of the Chinese maritime industry in the documentary. It can reach 3,000 meters deep underwater and contribute to the exploration of more submarine resources in the South China Sea.

[Photo: CCTV.com]

China’s growing strength in military and diplomatic fields is demonstrated in the documentary. In 2011, China successfully evacuated over 30,000 Chinese nationals in Libya. Military aircraft and ships were first used to evacuate overseas Chinese citizens. 

[Photo: CCTV.com]

Apart from these mass achievements, the documentary also unveiled how ordinary Chinese people played important roles in building these super projects, for example, the workers. These great projects couldn’t be achieved without the effort of each hardworking Chinese people.

The documentary scores 9.6 out of 10 on Maoyan Movie, one of the biggest online movie ticketing platforms in China.

Numerous viewers shared their comments online after watching the film.

“After watching Amazing China, I was overwhelmed and couldn’t get myself together for a long time. China had gone through all kinds of obstacles in the modern history. However, China got over it and made itself strong again. When I was watching the part of the evacuation of overseas Chinese in the movie, I felt a high sense of security and pride for being a Chinese. I realize that no matter where I am in the world, my country will always be my strongest backup,” commented Zeng Jiayin on WeChat.

“I feel so proud to be a Chinese and every Chinese should watch this documentary as it recorded the great achievements the country has done over the past five years and showed a spirit of a powerful country,” said a comment on Maoyan Movie that drew more than 1,000 likes.

Overseas netizens also praised China for its practical spirit and advanced technology. Even the hashtag Amazing China appeared on Twitter.

“Amazing China shows the great projects China accomplished under the leadership of President Xi Jinping,”  Twitter user @ johnny_observe commented.

“I wish that the entire world will see this as you can see in China that they do not just talk, they do it," wrote YouTube user @Mauro Morganti.

Amazing China, produced by China Central Television and China Film Co. Ltd, is a condensed version of the same name documentary released in 2017. Wei Tie, director of the documentary, said that it only took them one year to finish the production. “We need to pick up 90 minutes from the 1,000-hour raw material; you can imagine how difficult it would be,” said Wei.