‘Show tolerance’: chanting children irk cinemagoers by reciting lines while watching animated blockbuster featuring Tang dynasty poems
- The 168 minute-long animated film tells the stories of some of the most famous ancient Chinese poets and their work
- ‘Chanting children’ anger some on mainland social media but others urge tolerance for the sake of cultural education
Moviegoers in China are complaining that screenings of the domestic blockbuster 30,000 Miles from Chang An are being ruined by children loudly chanting classical poems during the film.
The 168 minute-long animated film tells the stories of some of the most famous ancient Chinese poets and their work.
Since it debuted in cinemas on July 8, the film has become a summer hit, earning 700 million yuan (US$97 million) at the box office as of July 17, The Beijing News reported.
Chang An is the ancient name for Xian, the capital city of the Tang dynasty (618-907), a period when poetry flourished in China.
Some of the most famous poets of the era include Li Bai, Du Fu, Bai Juyi and Wang Wei, whose works have been studied and appreciated for more than a thousand years.
Primary and middle school textbooks in China feature many Tang dynasty poems, which pupils are taught to recite.