But his interest in shooting a film about the war on the Korean Peninsula, fought 71 years ago, was ignited in 2000, when August First Film Studio pulled out all the stops to produce such an epic, but the project－which recruited Dong as a major creator－was canceled.

Defining Crossing the Yalu River as a "duty", finally carried out more than two decades later, Dong says he intends it as a tribute to the martyrs and veterans of the Chinese People's Volunteer forces, and hopes that the movie will help audiences understand more clearly their courage and sacrifice.

Currently grossing an overall box office of nearly 60 million yuan ($9.41 million), the film has also won plaudits from critics and industry insiders.

Zhang Dexiang, deputy chairman of the China Literature and Art Critics Association, says that the film narrates the whole picture of the war through a panoramic scope, and has gone beyond most similarly themed movies in terms of the ideological value and artistic quality.

Contact the writer at xufan@chinadaily.com.cn