To be or not to be: the dilemma of Chinese drama Story of Yanxi Palace (2)

The official poster for The Wandering Earth (Photo/Mtime.com)

The way ahead

Although some dramas currently face these dilemmas, the country's cultural industry is still thriving. According to the Ministry of Finance, China’s budget for cultural affairs reached 30.95 billion yuan this year, up 10.8 percent from 2018. The GDP share of the cultural industry has gradually increased over recent years.

As an indispensable part of the cultural industry, TV dramas and movies have made remarkable progress. Since 2018, the salary cap set for TV stars has changed the trend of regarding famous stars as a bargaining chip for producers; the rapid development of network dramas has contributed to greater diversity within the sector, and more high-quality shows have gone global.

“I’m delighted to see the progress that our cultural industry has made in recent years. I see more TV dramas and movies that are not only real cultural feasts but also carry forward positive values.” Li added.

Except for Story of Yanxi Palace, China’s first-ever sci-fi blockbuster, The Wandering Earth, is another example of China’s high-quality cultural work going global. The movie was purchased by Netflix earlier this year and will be translated into 28 languages for international release. Though it got 75 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, it only received 16 reviews from tomatometer critics.

When it comes to making high-quality, influential films and TV series that go global like Game of Thrones, China still has a long way to go.

“It requires a joint effort. Producers should have a sense of mission to produce high-quality artistic work. The government could also offer guidance, or financial support if necessary,” Luo said.

Li suggests producers explore and make good use of Chinese culture, including literature, philosophy and folk culture, which carry on values that resonate with the global audience.

“If we combine unique Chinese cultural elements with a commercialized operation, the future of cultural works on a global scale looks promising,” Li added.