Fine slice of history

An exhibition of 50 film posters from the past 60 years of the Chinese film industry is on display at the Hong Kong Arts Centre.

China's first feature film, Dingjun Shan, was produced in 1905.

The marriage of the rich tradition and culture of China with a foreign art form resulted in a high-standard industry with a distinctive Chinese character.

The earliest film advertisement in China was published in Shenbao in 1896, in the form of a poster about a film shown in Xuyuan, Shanghai.

As the technology in film-making and printing developed, colour film posters also became popular.

From the early 1930s until now, Chinese film posters have enjoyed a dual character as a film marketing tool and an independent art form.