When China dropped the curtain on The Da Vinci Code, June 9, the blockbuster had already raked in over 104 million yuan, 40 million yuan more than what was anticipated, according to the movie’s distributor Huaxia Films. The take was streets ahead of other recent Hollywood films shown on Chinese screens, which average out at around 40 million yuan over their run time.

The movie was premiered in China a few hours ahead of its global launch at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18. Based on the Dan Brown best-selling book, The Da Vinci Code movie attracted Chinese audiences to cinemas in big numbers, despite being a largely atheistic society and the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association calling on its almost 10 million members to boycott the controversial religious epic.

Chinese entrepreneurs were quick to take the pulse of the public mood and moved to cash in on this mega movie phenomenon. On May 21, Beijing CAISSA International Travel Service promoted a Da Vinci Code tour, seducing curious Chinese audiences to the Louvre Art Museum in Paris, the Temple Church in London and Milan, home of Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece The Last Supper. The locations follow the footsteps of the movie’s hero and heroine Professor Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu. According to Beijing Times, a CAISSA spokesperson was quoted as saying the successful screening of the movie is expected to make Paris and London hot travel destinations this summer.

It isn’t only movies and travel cashing in. Shi Hongjun, General Manager of Horizon Media, would have never imagined the Chinese-version of The Da Vinci Code would top the best-selling lists in so many major bookstores across the country.

“The Da Vinci Code copyright was sold at over $1 million to publishers in other countries, however we got it at a very low price when the book was imported in September 2003,” Shi said, adding sales had risen to over 1.5 million copies, excluding the pirated versions of the book, which are prolific on Chinese streets.

Wang Ling, also with Horizon Media, added that from May this year, the book was reprinted at a rate of 50,000 copies every week, thanks to the hype generated by the movie. The book is priced at 28 yuan, with a discount varying between 5 to 30 percent. The screening of the movie generated another wave of the book craze.

The withdrawal of the movie’s screening was done almost two weeks ahead of schedule. A notice from the China Film Group Corp. said the reason was to make space for honoring the 85th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (on July 1, 1921). This would be done through a range of domestic movies shown in cinemas countrywide. The notice said that cinemas should spare enough time and energy in promoting domestic movies and guarantee abundant time for their screening.

Sun Yuexiang, manager of Dalian Cinema in northeast China’s Liaoning Province, noted that normally, the end of June and early July are the time for domestic movies. “It seems a bit earlier this year than what it used to be,” Sun said. Analysts speculated that the early withdrawal of The Da Vinci Code was due to the sensitive religious content of the movie.

While cinemas are lamenting the shutout of a blockbuster, which has brought them a big payday, the movie distributor seemed less concerned. Wang from Huaxia Films believes rich pickings from the movie’s gross meant no cinemas had reason to complain. “The box office has already surpassed 100 million yuan, which is extremely high for a movie shown in China,” she said.

Boycotting the movie

Unlike the seemingly mild response to the book, the Vatican came out in strong opposition to the movie. As experts explain, a movie can reach an enormous number of people across the world and may exert a profound impact on audiences, something a book cannot do. Fearing possible questioning of Catholics’ belief, the Vatican asked its millions of followers to boycott the movie.

Chinese Catholic Churches, though operating independently from the Vatican, quickly responded to the Vatican’s request. On hearing the movie would premiere in China, Liu Bainian, Vice Chairman of the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, said, the movie contained many details that went against Catholic teachings. Liu believes the movie “violates religious ethics and morals and insults the feelings of clergy and followers.”

The Xinde Weekly, published by the Hebei Provincial Patriotic Catholic Association, called on Catholics to boycott the movie in an open letter published on its website, both in Chinese and in English.

Describing the movie as a “test” of the faith of Catholics, Liu said, “Catholics should consolidate their belief, abide by the instruction of the church and not get affected by works of fiction.”

Nearly all Chinese Catholic websites posted articles pointing out the mistakes and fictional scenes in The Da Vinci Code, while English-language aficionados are busy picking out the translation errors in the Chinese version of the book.

Liu Xinhong, the bishop of Anhui Diocese, told Beijing Review that his office had put up notices calling on his congregation not to watch or discuss the movie.

Wang, a worker with Xishiku Cathedral (the North Cathedral) in Beijing, also said neither worshippers nor cathedral fathers discussed the movie. When asked why he would not watch the movie, Wang said, “It is a waste of time to watch this kind of fiction. Furthermore, the movie distorted the sacred teachings of Catholicism.”

Unexpected inspiration

Few Chinese people may know that Beijing and the Vatican are still in dispute over China’s recent ordination of two Catholic bishops without the Vatican’s approval, but many have become acquainted with the idea of Christianity through this two-and-a-half-hour-long movie. Luckily enough for Chinese audiences, no part of the movie had been cut for its release in China. “We didn’t cut anything, because everyone knows the movie is a work of fiction,” said Zhou Lixian, General Manager of Columbia Tristar Motion Picture Group (China).

Instead of opposing the movie, Yu Peng, a Christian, has his own thoughts. He quoted an old saying to make his point: If you are going to tell a lie, make it a really big one.

“Everyone knows it (the story’s premise) is a lie. Dan Brown writes stories but not history,” Yu noted. He said he had discussed the movie with a priest. “As long as we stick to our faith, nothing can break us down,” he was advised. “Actually, before The Da Vinci Code, not many people in China knew about Christianity or Catholicism, and even fewer could distinguish between the two. Perhaps the controversy over the movie is God’s way of drawing more people’s attention to Him--that way he can save more souls,” said Yu thoughtfully.

His words were echoed by Liu Qian, a college student in Tianjin. Growing up in a village where nearly everyone is Catholic, she has been a Catholic since she was very young. Liu said it is reasonable that the Catholic society opposes this movie, for fear that youngsters will be misled by fiction. She also believes that the movie has attracted many more people to Christianity.

People like Su Sihuang from Beijing, who said he has become hooked on Christianity after watching the movie and downloaded many articles and books on religion, are increasing in number.

Confusing religious creed or a rollicking work of fiction, people generally are giving Dan Brown’s work the thumbs up. According to an online survey conducted by Sina.com, respondents awarded the movie an average 4.5 out of five, a high rating as far as online surveys go. Over 48 percent of 4,452 voters say that they are looking forward to a sequel to The Da Vinci Code. Based on the commercial success of this work that seems highly probable.