"Hero" by Zhang Yimou reaped 1.45 billion yuan (about 180 million US dollars) in box office revenue and 30 million yuan (3.75 million US dollars) in revenue in byproducts including DVDs, stamps and cartoons around the world.

A Wall Street Journal article said the film had ushered in a Chinese Blockbuster Age.

Chinese films are participating in the international competition by involving themselves in the international mainstream market, said professor Huang Shixian, with the Beijing Film Academy at a forum marking the centennial of Chinese film, which concluded in Beijing on Tuesday.