'Taiwan Reunification Inevitable'... Chinese Propaganda Film Faces Backlash, Release in Doubt

No Ticket Sales Opened for "The Battle at Lake Pinghu" Even on the Eve of Release
Blocked by Han Nationalists... Reunification Propaganda Sparks Ideological Disputes

A large-scale historical film produced by China to emphasize the legitimacy of Taiwan's reunification has become embroiled instead in a domestic debate over historical perspectives, putting even its release in doubt. The film's focus on the Qing dynasty's conquest of the Han Chinese regime in Taiwan has triggered backlash from Han nationalist groups.

According to Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao and Hong Kong's Sing Tao Daily on July 24 (local time), the Chinese movie "The Battle at Lake Pinghu" was originally scheduled for release on the 25th, but as of the day before, ticket sales had still not opened.

Poster of the Chinese movie The Battle at Lake Changjin. Screenshot from social networking service (SNS).

Online in China, rumors of a cancelled release spread, and related search terms surged to the top of real-time trending lists, but subsequently both posts and search results related to the movie were rapidly deleted. It is also reported that no distribution notice was sent to cinemas.

The film is directed by Hong Kong's Cheng Baorui, and stars such as Du Zhang and Zhao Liying appear in it. The production team created a massive set spanning tens of thousands of square meters, mobilized 50 model warships, and enlisted 45,000 extras, reflecting a large-scale production budget investment.

The story depicts Admiral Shi Lang of the Fujian Navy conquering the Ming Zheng (Dongning Kingdom) regime, established by the Zheng Chenggong family, in the 1683 Battle at Lake Pinghu during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing dynasty, thereby incorporating Taiwan into Qing territory. With slogans such as "Reunification of Taiwan is an unstoppable trend" and "Taiwan has always been a part of China," the movie stands as a so-called "key national project film" actively promoted by Chinese authorities.

However, when the film was released to the public, an unexpected situation unfolded. Recently, the "Huang Han" group—Han nationalists with increasing influence online in China—and "Mingben" supporters, who regard the Ming dynasty as the legitimate dynasty, began a boycott, claiming that the film glorified the Qing dynasty, founded by the Manchus, for overthrowing a Han regime. These groups do not recognize the Yuan and Qing dynasties as legitimate Chinese dynasties, and instead regard the Dongning Kingdom, which fought against the Qing, in a positive light.

Poster of the Chinese movie "The Battle at Lake Pinghu." Screenshot from social networking service (SNS)

The problem is that such a historical perspective is in direct opposition to the Chinese government's narrative of a "multi-ethnic unified country." The official Chinese view is that, in addition to the Han, ethnic groups such as the Manchu, Mongol, and Tibetan peoples together form the Chinese nation (Zhonghua minzu). Since much of China's modern borders were established during the Qing dynasty, some worry that denying the Qing's legitimacy could undermine the historical grounds for Chinese territorial claims in areas such as Tibet, Xinjiang, and Inner Mongolia.

As the controversy grew, Chinese authorities rapidly deleted negative posts about the film, and Douban, China's largest movie rating site, suspended its rating and comment features for the movie. The film's official Weibo account has also effectively ceased promotion since last month.

Industry insiders suggest that the film's explicit linkage of historical events to the current cross-strait (China-Taiwan) relationship may have made censorship authorities uneasy. There is also speculation that changes in the production company's management and shareholding structure may have affected the release schedule.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.