• machine translated from https://fun.youth.cn/gnzx/202307/t20230718_14655785.htm

The summer blockbuster “Three Thousand Miles of Chang’an” unfolds ancestral wisdom, emotions, and timeless beauty for contemporary audiences, opening the hearts of countless children. Pictured is the film poster.

With box office earnings exceeding 700 million yuan and an 8.2 rating online, the currently popular film “Three Thousand Miles of Chang’an” recently surged to the top of the box office charts with the momentum of “One day, we’ll ride the wind and break the waves, hoist our cloud-like sails, and cross the vast sea.” As this summer blockbuster drew many parents with children to theaters, some moviegoers encountered a delightful nuisance: “When the film recited the first half of a Tang dynasty poem, the kids beside me would automatically recite the second half.” In some screenings packed with children, the collective recitation even created waves of sound, quickly trending on social media.

Some view this as a heartwarming sight rarely seen in theaters: inspired by the poets on screen, children spontaneously recited China’s most exquisite verses, bridging an ancient dialogue with history—a moment that resonates with the filmmakers’ original intent. This very act of cultural transmission and resonance carries its own poetic beauty. Others, however, noted that while children humming verses moved by the film is understandable, some parents disregarded others’ feelings, treating the movie as a language tutoring session or poetry recitation contest for their children. This severely disrupted the viewing experience for others, prompting complaints like, “I didn’t buy a ticket to watch a Chinese exam.” After synthesizing various opinions, reporters found that greater self-discipline from audiences and more proactive measures from theaters could transform this ‘annoyance’ into a “beautiful moment.”

Ancient poetry carries millennia of emotional resonance, and exchanging verses on and off the screen is a beautiful encounter.

Regarding the online buzz about children reciting classical poetry in theaters, film critic “Tübingen Carpenter” posted on Weibo: “If children join in reciting poetry, I suggest fellow audience members refrain from stopping them. It’s a wonderful sound—a unique romance belonging to Chinese cinemas.” Many netizens agreed with this perspective. After all, when children spontaneously join Li Bai in chanting “I lift my head to gaze at the bright moon, I lower my head and think of my hometown” or Cui Hao’s “The yellow crane has flown away, never to return; White clouds drift idly through the ages,” it’s hard not to be moved by the cultural sentiment behind such scenes.

The lives of Tang Dynasty people feel distant to us today. Yet the 48 poems in this film unfold our ancestors’ thoughts, emotions, and the beauty of their era for contemporary audiences, opening the hearts of countless children. During interviews, most netizens expressed that watching the film was about experiencing cultural charm. The poetic exchanges on and off screen represent a beautiful encounter, proving the film’s success. One mother even commented on a trending topic: her child, who previously lacked patience for memorizing ancient poems, became enthusiastic after seeing the film, where the poets “came alive,” and now recites verses willingly at home.

Director Xie Junwei of Three Miles of Chang’an shared an experience: when his child recited “Spring sleep knows not dawn,” the child naturally continued with the next line. “In that instant, I felt our father-son bond, our two generations, connected by this culture. That moment made me truly realize how generations resonate through these cultural threads.” “ Song Yiyi, the film’s producer, also shared that her daughter could recite ”Quiet Night Thoughts“ at just one year old: ”No one ever forced her to learn it. The rhythm of the poetry just made it easy for her to remember. Our generation reads these poems, and so will our children and grandchildren—it’s a form of cultural inheritance."

With more self-discipline from audiences and proactive measures from theaters, what’s currently “annoying” can become “enjoyable.”

For those whose movie experience was disrupted by children reciting poetry, some complaints are understandable. However, balancing the needs of audiences with differing attitudes requires collective attention and effort. The production team of Chang’an: Three Thousand Miles stated they never organized or encouraged audiences to recite classical poetry in theaters. Regarding this spontaneous display of enthusiasm, they can only repeatedly remind viewers to “observe theater etiquette and respect public order.”

Some netizens directly suggested creating dedicated family screenings, clearly marked during ticket purchase to distinguish them. Others proposed that parents bringing children to theaters could use this as an opportunity for civic education: not disturbing others is a fundamental principle. Practically speaking, from a theater management perspective, if children’s spontaneous recitations are quiet or do not disrupt the atmosphere, parents can guide them while other viewers show understanding. However, when adults engage in such behavior for showmanship or to draw attention, severely disrupting the viewing experience, theater management should issue appropriate reminders and interventions.

In fact, the phenomenon of children spontaneously reciting classical poetry in theaters offers inspiration for cinemas to provide more refined and personalized services. With proper organization, fostering positive interaction between the screen and the audience could potentially deepen viewers’ immersion in the film. Wang Lijun from the Shanghai Film Distribution and Exhibition Industry Association stated that Shanghai’s film professionals have taken note of these online discussions: “Once we identify suitable themes through research and analysis, we will organize themed viewing events to foster positive interaction between the screen and the audience.” During the release of Slam Dunk, Shanghai cinema chains specifically organized “cheer sessions” where fans sang along to theme songs, cheered, screamed, and waved lights, creating an electrifying atmosphere. Such dedicated screenings satisfy fan demand without disrupting regular audiences.

A superior, immersive cinematic experience requires greater empathy and public-spiritedness from all parties to collectively create, enjoy, and preserve such excellence.

Author: Wei Zhong

@[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected]