Name: Satish Anamalamudi (L11225009), School: Information and

Communication Engineering
5. Movie appreciation about Chinese culture.

Movies are the condensation of a society. Chinese movies are the best textbook
ever for you to know about China. Chinese movies are mainly divided into three
parts: Mainland movies, Hong Kong movies and Taiwan movies. Movies made in
these three places can differ in style from each other to a large extent for
geographical and social reasons. On the other hand, they could form complement
each other because they all arise from a single Chinese culture.
Chinese Zodiac is an action movie directed by Jackie Chan, starring Jackie Chan,
SingTong Yao and Kwon Sang-woo. It premiered on October 12th, 2012 in Beijng.
Jackie Chan claimed that this will be his last major action movie. Jackie Chan, whose
films are loved by audiences of all ages, is an outstanding martial artist famous
across the world. His breathtaking action, excellent driving skills and unique humor
impress people a lot. Many of Jackie Chans movies can be ranked as Hong Kong 's
biggest-grossing movies. This time Jackie Chan who has been fifty-eight years old
tried directing once again. Chinese Zodiac 12 won Chan two Guinness World
Records. One is for the "most stunts by a living actor". The film also earned him the
record for the "most credits in one movie". Chan assumed 15 roles in the film,
including director, producer, actor and choreographer. Jackie Chan reprises his role
as adventurer and treasure hunter Asian Hawk, who is seeking to repatriate twelve
bronze heads of the animals of the Chinese zodiac that were looted from the Old
Summer Palace in the Second Opium War. During the hunting, he is touched by the
patriotism of Coco, the daughter of Professor Guan of Chinese cultural relics, and
the students. In the end of the movie, Jackie gives up the money and helps Coco to
save national treasure. The bronze heads are found by them and returned back to
China. The movie Chinese Zodiac conveys that we should respect cultural relics and
mutual property and go against any stealing or plundering out of personal desire.
Meanwhile, it also criticizes the behavior of plundering cultural relics from other
nations. The statues with bronze heads of animals in Old Summer Palace were
created during Qianlong period of Qing dynasty. There were twelve statues in all,
each representing one Chinese zodiac. The bronze heads were designed by the
missionary Giuseppe Castiglione and made by artisans at the court of the Emperor.
The statues sprayed water from the mouth of the bronze heads by turns on the hour
to announce the time; therefore they were called Water-driving Clock at that time.
The twelve statues are treasures of high artistic and ornamental value and they
embody the cultural communication between Chinese and western countries. In
1860 during the Second Opium War, the coalition forces of British Empire and the
Second French Empire invaded China and set fire to the Old Summer Palace. The
twelve statues began to drain overseas. By far only a few of the bronze heads have

be returned, therefore they have been regarded as the symbol of the lost cultural
relics from Old Summer Palace. While shooting Chinese Zodiac, the crew made
twelve highly simulated heads as props under the chief of Jackie Chan. On October
30th, 2012, Chan donated the twelve heads for Old Summer Palace in Haiyan House
where the statues used to stand. They will be collected in Old Summer Palace and
be seen by visitors forever.