Filming of movies and television programs will not be allowed at
scenic spots in China without prior approval, the Ministry of
Construction said on Friday.
The restriction also applies to live commercial
performances.
The ministry asked local construction authorities at the
provincial level to investigate a series of incidents in which
movie companies reportedly caused damage in scenic spots while
filming.
Those responsible for any damage may receive fines and legal
punishment. They will also have to restore the damaged environment
to its original state.
The ministry asked governments at all levels to take concrete
measures to protect scenic sites of cultural and historical
value.
When movies or television programs are to be filmed in such
areas, producers must seek environmental impact assessments from
construction departments at the provincial level, and final
approval must be given from the ministry.
Early this week, Vice-Minister of Construction Qiu Baoxing
criticized the crew that filmed "The Promise" for damaging the
pristine environment at Bigu Tianchi in Shangri-la County,
southwest China's
Yunnan Province.
A reinforced concrete structure was left on the lake's shore,
and more than 100 wooden posts were left in the water, Qiu
said.
The Beijing News reported on Friday that the crew of "The
Promise" also damaged about 60 trees in the Yuanmingyuan Garden
(Old Summer Palace) during the shooting of an autumn scene.
They painted the trees yellow all of them over 10 meters high at
the end of 2004, and many have since withered.
But management staff of the garden said they knew nothing about
how the damage was caused, and the producer of the film could not
be contacted, according to the newspaper.
Li Aiming, an official of the Diqing Tibet Autonomous
Prefecture, where Bigu Tianchi is located, told China Daily
on Friday that all the structures and materials left by the crew
had been dismantled and cleared.
"Environmental experts have reached the site to assess the
impact," Li said.
The ministry told the Yunnan provincial bureau of construction
to dispatch investigators to deal with the issue, ministry official
Wang Fengwu said on Thursday.
The filmmakers behind "The Promise" said that they were not to
blame for any environmental damage because they paid the local
government to clean up after the shoot.
Jiang Xiaoyu, a China Central Television movie channel
commentator, told China Daily: "Whatever can be said in
defense of the filmmakers, I think they do bear the responsibility
for the mess they left behind.
"Even though they said they had spoken to local authorities
about the matter, it remains to be explained what on earth they
spoke about in the first place. They should at least see to it that
the site is indeed cleaned up."
Artists and critics in Beijing also said that authorities should
legislate on the filming at scenic spots.
Environmental activists welcomed the publicity of the event and
its significance, according to Wang Ping, a member of the Chinese
People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC),
the national political advisory body.
"The environmental impact of cultural and entertainment
industries has long been an area covered by no laws and no
regulations," said Wang, a professor of environmental engineering
at Beijing University of Industry and Commerce.
"Although they are mostly temporary projects, whether shooting a
movie or having a festival celebration, they tend to subject the
environment to risks," she said. "Sometimes the pollution of a
temporary project can remain forever."
(China Daily May 13, 2006)