Fan Bingbing is the lead actress in the acclaimed TV drama "The Empress of China." (Photo : Getty Images)
A growing market share and impressive ticket sales in Vietnam all point to the increasing popularity of Chinese TV dramas and movies in the Southeast Asian nation, according to an article by China Daily.
Aside from selling record ticket sales, Chinese movies in particular are earning rave reviews from Vietnamese audiences.
One such movie that did well in the Vietnamese box office is "The Mermaid," Stephen Chow's science fiction and fantasy creation. It debuted in Vietnam on Feb. 10, just in time for the annual Lunar New Year holiday.
A cross between a love story and an environmental tale, "The Mermaid" tells the story of a mermaid and a rich businessman who fell in love with each other. The movie's comic relief and relatability fueled a "mermaid fever" in Vietnam, with audiences expressing satisfaction with the movie.
Instead of winding down, the "mermaid fever" is getting hotter in Vietnam after photos of a six-month-old Vietnamese baby wearing a mermaid costume was posted on the Internet.
According to several interviews, the baby's parents were inspired to dress their daughter in a mermaid costume after watching "The Mermaid."
Another Chinese creation that became a craze in Vietnam is the TV drama "The Empress of China," which premiered in the country in 2005. Audiences regularly anticipated new episodes on the Internet.
"I was so excited to wait for the next episode to see the new developments of the story," said Nguyen Ngoc Dong, a 33-year-old fan, in an interview with China Daily.
An online app that helped users edit pictures to look like characters from the TV show also became popular in the country.
"I used the app on my own photos, and even on my husband's and my cousin's photos," said Dong. "It was so fun."
When asked about what she likes about Chinese TV dramas and movies, Dong pointed out the attractive actors and actresses as well as the stunning, well-shot scenes.
"The actresses are extremely beautiful and their costumes are also gorgeous," said Dong.
The popularity of Chinese TV dramas and movies may be attributed to the fact that such entertainment are immediately reworked to suit local preferences, especially now that China is slowly making its film genres more diversified.
