Chinese director Zhang Yimou's new film project Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles held a grand and special premiere ceremony in Lijiang, a famous scenary town in southern China's Yunnan province. 

Different from the usual star-studded line-up of other blockbuster premieres, Zhang Yimou presented the film a common people's festival on Si Fang Street, a famous site in the town.

Besides several famous anchors, almost all the performers on stage were local singers and dancers from minority groups as well as the film's director, lead actor and a thousand local residents.

Zhang invited many local residents to star in the film and speak their dialect, which reminiscent of the director's earlier films.

Zhang focused this time on the unpretentious love between a father and son to touch people's deepest sensitivities.

After the ceremony, the ancient town arranged a three-hundred-meter long food kiosk along the street to treat all the guests.

The film makes hits theatres nationally on December 22.

(CRI December 19, 2005)