Po and Mei Mei. (Wccdaily.com.cn/Chen Yuxiao)

Kung Fu Panda 3 press tour in Chengdu. (Wccdaily.com.cn/Chen Yuxiao)

From Mulan to Mission: Impossible III, along with X-Men, Iron Man 3, and The Martian, Chinese elements have been penetrating Hollywood more and more in recent years. The Kung Fu Panda series has even been considered a “love letter” from Hollywood to China.

On Jan. 20, the Kung Fu Panda 3 press tour arrived in Chengdu, China’s southwestern Sichuan province. Despite a strong cold current, Po, Mei Mei, Hollywood star Kate Hudson (who lends her voice to female giant panda Mei Mei) and thousands of fans showed up to welcome this American-Chinese animated comedy.

Compared to the previous two Kung Fu Panda movies, the third movie has more Chinese elements: Po has a Chinese name, Li Lianhua; Mei Mei is in traditional Sichuan costumes; the panda village is located in Qingcheng Mountain, a scenic spot in Sichuan province.

Kate Hudson explained that, apart from market demand for the movie, Chinese culture was also a big attraction for her when she accepted the dubbing role for Kung Fu Panda 3. “My kids were so excited once they knew about the job. They think I am a really cool mom and they say they want to learn Chinese kung fu, too,” Hudson laughed.

In an interview with one of Kung Fu Panda 3’s directors, Jennifer Yuh Nelson, Nelson revealed that the crew visited the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and Qingcheng Mountain to get inspiration for the movie. She also noted that there is a lot of space for the development of a potential Kung Fu Panda 4. Since Po is actually from Sichuan, Nelson is also considering making Kung Fu Panda 3 in Sichuan dialect.