NO.5 Hollywood looks to China
As of Dec. 8, the Chinese box office had already reached an annual record total of 20 billion yuan (about US$3.29 billion) in sales, up 35 percent from the same period of last year. Chinese mainland has become second-largest film market in the world after the United States, attracting more and more attention from Hollywood studios, which have sought new ways to cooperate with Chinese partners and promote films among Chinese audiences.
In September, more than 60 Chinese and Hollywood actors and filmmakers, along with film studio executives and representatives from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, appeared in the lesser-known Chinese city of Qingdao, Shandong Province, for the opening ceremony of the Oriental Movie Metropolis. International celebrities, including Zhang Ziyi, Jet Li, Tony Leung, Leonardo DiCaprio, Nicole Kidman and John Travolta, turned up for the event.
With a total investment of 50 billion yuan (US$8.16 billion) from Chinese conglomerate Wanda, the Metropolis is reportedly the largest movie industry project in the world and combines a studio, a theme park, museums and cinemas. Wang Jianlin, Wanda's chairman and the wealthiest man in China, boasted that "by gathering top resources, we can make the Qingdao International Movie Festival world famous."
The appearance of so many celebrities surprised many people in China, but Wang was widely mocked online. Netizens called him a "tuhao," a term used to describe the nouveau riche, who is generally seen as having no taste, only money.
NO. 4 Ang Lee wins best director Oscar
Ang Lee won the Academy Award for Best Director for "Life of Pi" in February. Lee's direction of the film, which was nominated for a total of 11 categories, was lauded by critics for his ability to bring the complex book to life.
Lee, 59, won a Best Director Oscar for "Brokeback Mountain" in 2006. His film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" also won the award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2001. The Taiwan native was the first person of Asian descent to win an Oscar for Best Director.
Lee was always seen as the pride of the Chinese and the Oscar-winning director of smash hit "Pi" added more luster to his personal resume as well as inspired Chinese filmmakers in 2013.
NO. 3 Cantonese opera guru dies
Cantonese opera legend Hung Sin-nui died at the age of 89 in Guangzhou on Dec. 8 after suffering a heart attack.
Hung, whose real name was Kuang Jianlian, was born into a wealthy family in Kaiping, Guangdong Province, on Dec. 27, 1924, and began studying Cantonese opera when she was 14.
Famous for her smooth "Hung tone," which incorporated techniques from Peking, Kun and Western opera styles, Hung acted in more than 70 films and 200 Cantonese operas.
Key political and entertainment figures gathered in Guangzhou bid farewell to the opera guru, while President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang sent their condolences and flowers.
Hung's death also raised the question of who will carry on the dying art of Cantonese opera.
NO. 2 Rupert Murdoch divorces Wendi Deng
Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch and his wife, Wendi Deng, reached an undisclosed deal in late November to end their 14-year marriage. Murdoch filed for divorce in June, citing "irreconcilable differences," to the surprise of many people in China.
It was the third marriage for the 82-year-old Murdoch, who split his firm News Corp earlier this year into a publishing company and the more profitable film and TV unit, 21st Century Fox. The divorce will not affect control of the companies or the succession plan for them.
Deng was seen as a kind of role model of the elite and smart wife who helped her tycoon husband run an empire. The divorce really came as a surprise to most and several tabloid tidbits also added fuel to the rumors of an affair between Deng and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
NO. 1 Feng Xiaogang directs Spring Festival Gala
Facing a decline in viewership over the past few years, CCTV Spring Festival Gala had been in need of a huge boost to its annual variety show to ring in the Chinese New Year. In a bold move, the state television broadcaster announced that Feng Xiaogang, a highly successful Chinese film director, will direct the 2014 edition, sparking wide anticipation.
Feng said he hopes that the writers will write what they want to express most instead of censoring themselves. Authorities often cut out dialogue that they deem sensitive and that may offend certain groups.
The program, which was first held in 1983, is viewed by more 700 million viewers annually, making it one of the most viewed television events in the world. The show features various performances, such as opera, acrobatics, dance, and comedy performances.
The 2014 program will be shown live on Jan. 30.
Well before the Beijing Film gala opens, Feng's new comedy "Personal Tailor" has set several box office records in 2013 and thus far has grossed more than 600 million yuan. Yet the film also saw its fair share of bad reviews -- Feng even openly and angrily blasted film critics for these, saying they did not understand the film -- making people wonder if the quality of the gala is really ensured.