The new era

February's takings were a new world record, breaking the July 2011 record of $1.4 billion in the North American market.

Last year, Wolf Warrior 2, a patriotic film based on the evacuation of Chinese citizens from Yemen in 2015, made 5.7 billion yuan at the box office and became the highest-grossing film in Chinese cinematic history.

Amazing China also feels like a salute to Chinese cinema and the 2015 evacuation scene is portrayed in the documentary as well.

As for innovations in the documentary, Rao Shuguang, head of China Film Critics Association, says: "We see many difficult shooting techniques used in Amazing China like aerial shots.

"The development of film production techniques also reflects the country's growing in strength. They show that China is responsibly trying to build a shared future for humanity."

Rao says the big screen gives audiences a better perspective compared to TV news, adding that such documentaries based on news are best seen on the big screen. He also says that Amazing China can be used as a template to showcase the country's future achievements on film.