Wadzanai Mhombera in Zhejiang, China
The Chinese people have invested in the preservation of their culture through the construction of a world studio and cinema to showcase Chinese ancient dynasties and history.
Zimbabwean journalists attending a seminar for journalists and editors were taken on a tour of the Hengdian World Studios in China’s Zhejiang Province.
The studios are used by the Chinese film industry to produce soap operas and films depicting ancient China.
When the Zimbabwean contingent arrived at the studios, a film production was underway and the team witnessed some of the rehearsals.
The Zimbabwean contingent later also visited Hengdian Cinema in the same area where a magnificent theatre studio was created to showcase performances depicting ancient Chinese culture.
Thousands of tourists from various parts of the world visit the cinema and watch performances which are done twice everyday at 10am and at 2pm.
The journalists arrived just in time for the 2pm performances where they found the auditorium full to capacity with tourists ready to watch the well-choreographed theatre performances.
Information gathered during the tour shows that approximately 10 000 people enter the cinema gates everyday with each person paying 100 yuan, meaning that the government of China rakes in close to 1 million yuan on a daily basis at the Hengdian cinema.
The buildings at the cinema depict the ancient ones during various Chinese dynasties.
There is the king’s entrance gate which was only used by the king while ordinary people had their own entrance and streets to use.
The cultural infrastructure around the cinema also depicts the king’s residence that of his many wives and people’s homesteads in ancient China.
The cinema highlights how a Chinese city used to look like in ancient times while also merging with modernity to make it appeal to the visitors.
Hengdian cinema falls under Jinhua city, in China’s Zhejiang Province.