Chinese media, advertising, and urban life.

Modern Express
January 26, 2010

As one of China's most prominent film directors, Zhang Yimou has no shortage of critics who try to top each other in their put-downs of his latest screen efforts. The same goes for Zhang's off-screen activities as well: the Olympic opening ceremony had its share of detractors, and neither of his recent operas — an adaptation of Turandot for the Forbidden City and a staging of The First Emperor at the Met — was a resounding success.

Now Zhang's involvement in outdoor music and lights extravaganzas has drawn sharp criticism from the vice-mayor of a city in southern China.

In 2003, Zhang directed "Impression: Liu Sanjie," an adaptation of a Zhuang myth staged against the fabulous scenery of Yangshuo, Guangxi. The performance was a boon to local tourism and led to four more "Impression" productions and countless imitations across the country.

Not all of them have been successful, writes Jiang Zongfu (姜宗福), vice-mayor of Linxiang, a city within Yueyang, Hunan Province. In a caustic essay posted on the Rednet BBS on January 22, Jiang accused Zhang and his collaborators of creating productions that were far too large for the tourist spots where they were staged, collecting substantial fees while leaving local governments and businesses holding the bill.

Today's Modern Express summarized Jiang's argument. His entire post is translated below:

Not long ago, I went around to a number of tourist destinations across the country in search of the secret to improving tourism in Linxiang. Everywhere I went, my hosts made special arrangements for me to see an outdoor performance set against a scenic backdrop, and the more of them I saw, the heavier my heart felt. The crush of "Impressions" with their humongous investment and clichéd performances have thrown the country's tourist destinations into chaos. And the bedlam is in no small part thanks to Zhang Yimou!