Drawing on a Chinese legend

Zhao recalls that his team of creators traveled to places of interest to seek inspiration, including the Mogao Caves and Yueya (crescent-shaped) Spring in Dunhuang, Gansu province, as well as Huashan Mountain and museums in Shaanxi province.

"Many of us grew up with bedtime stories that told of these mythical islands such as Penglai and Yingzhou. So, when we started the project of Yang Jian, one of the most attractive things to me was having the opportunity to bring to life a fantastical world where these Chinese celestial beings live," says Zhao.

Aside from taking reference from the historical sites, the director recalls his team also conducted a lot of research to absorb the architectural aesthetics of numerous dynasties from the Wei (220-265) and Jin through to the Tang Dynasty (618-907), according to Zhao.

"We hope the movie will show the audience how beautiful and diversified China's ancient architecture was and that the love and passion of Chinese culture and history can be passed on to the next young generation," he adds.