Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Aftershock
(2010) dealt with the traumatic events surrounding the devastating
Tangshan earthquake of 1976. Grossing more than US00 million at the
Chinese box office,
Lost in Thailand
(2012; Xu Zheng) was a highly successful
Chinese slapstick comedy, bringing a refreshing change to a cinematic land-
scape otherwise dominated by martial arts films, period dramas and historical
blockbusters.
Architecture
Modern Architecture
If modern architecture in China is regarded as anything post-1949, then China
has ridden a roller-coaster ride of styles and fashions. In Beijing, stand
between the Great Hall of the People (1959) and the National Centre for the
Performing Arts (2008) and weigh up how far China travelled in 50 years. In-
terestingly, neither building has clear Chinese motifs. The same applies to the
complex form of Beijing's CCTV Building, where a continuous loop through ho-
rizontal and vertical planes required some audacious engineering.
