Hit film screening sparks merchandise craze in China

The ongoing screening of the Chinese anti-war film "Once Upon a Time in the Middle East" has sparked a massive merchandise craze across China, as it is becoming the latest box-office hit. According to Maoyan Professional, a film industry data analysis platform, the movie has grossed approximately 900 million yuan (133.6 million U.S. dollars) in just six days since its release on Tuesday, attracting over 24 million viewers.

The film follows Xu Fu, a Chinese chef who finds himself caught up in a desperate struggle to save lives amid the flames of war in the Middle East. His survival instinct isn't about fighting, it's about feeding people and holding onto normal life when everything around him is falling apart.

At a theater in Beijing, an officially licensed pop-up merchandise event for the film are drawing crowds of fans eager to buy souvenirs.

The merchandise available is designed based on elements from the film, including more than a dozen products such as keychains, refrigerator magnets, and blind box badges. Prices range from 19.9 to 129 yuan.

"I bought a little sprouted potato plush and a blind box of badge. The prices are quite reasonable, around 40 to 50 yuan," said an audience member.

"I bought a badge which is a hidden 'Let's Eat Well' design. I also bought a Loong Restaurant refrigerator magnet. It lights up when you turn it on. It reminds me of the lively scenes inside the restaurant when it was packed with diners," said another viewer.

"The bestsellers right now are chief chef-themed refrigerator magnets and fluffy sprouted potato keychains. We've also prepared special check-in experience activities. Online sales were launched on August 8, when the film had its preview screenings, and within just a few days, we've already received over a thousand orders," said Yan Shuang, general manager of a culture company primarily responsible for the development and sales of officially licensed merchandise related to the movie.

Hit film screening sparks merchandise craze in China

With the fishing season kicking off on Sunday at the end of an annual fishing moratorium, fleets of fishing vessels set sail from Zhuhai in south China's Guangdong Province, while a grand seafood festival drew hungry tourists from across China, including the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions, to sample the freshest catches of the year.

Over 100 fishing boats departed in an orderly fashion from the Hongwan Central Fishing Port after the summer fishing ban was lifted on the South China Sea. Prior to departure, fishermen had completed ice resupply, net repairs and refueling. Fishery administration and maritime authorities carried out safety inspections, while border inspection departments streamlined customs procedures to facilitate smooth clearance for navigation of fishing vessels between Hong Kong, Macao and Guangdong.

A seafood festival was held on the same day, drawing large numbers of out-of-town visitors who made special trips to sample the fresh seafood.

"[My relatives] have settled here and brought me here. The weather is hot, and the atmosphere is even hotter!" said a tourist coming from Changsha, the provincial capital city of central China's Hunan Province which neighbors Guangdong.

"The vibe here is fantastic. A lot of people from Hong Kong and Macao come over. I could tell because the parking lot was completely full," said a tourist from Macao.

According to statistics, this year's fishing ban involved 927 Zhuhai-registered fishing vessels and 569 Hong Kong-Macao mobile fishing vessels. By Aug 16, nearly 1,000 vessels had cast off their moorings and set sail from Zhuhai, ushering in a new season of fishing.

The annual seasonal ban, which ran from May 1 to August 16, is intended to protect fishery stocks by restricting commercial fishing across designated waters in the South China Sea.

Fishing season in south China's Guangdong draws crowds of seafood fans