China has tightened the control over film shooting and large variety performances in scenic areas, following reports of environmental damage at some of the country's most beautiful sites during the filming of movies and television series.

 

In a circular to provincial authorities Friday, the Ministry of Construction said such activities would henceforth be subject to strict scrutiny or completely banned.

 

Film-makers or activity organizers shall have to submit plans to provincial authorities on how they would protect the environment during their work.

 

Their activities would be kept to a minimum in major national scenic areas, and would be approved by the Ministry only.

 

The circular orders a nationwide survey of such activities in scenic areas, to be completed and submitted to the ministry by June 15.

 

Those in charge of these activities will be responsible for repairing minor environmental damage, while those guilty of serious damage will be prosecuted, the circular says.

 

The day earlier, a senior official with the ministry said it had instructed authorities in southwest China's Yunnan Province to investigate environmental damage to a mountain lake during the shooting of a film titled The Promise by prominent Chinese director Chen Kaige.

 

The lake, in Shangrila County, is part of a world natural heritage site known as the Three Parallel Rivers, where the Nujiang, Lancang, and Jinsha/Yangtze rivers flow parallel from north to south.

 

Wang Fengwu, of the ministry's office for the management of scenic areas, said legal action would be considered at the end of the probe.

 

The film's producer, Chen Hong, said Thursday that the issue was a misunderstanding.

 

She said the shooting team had arranged with the local authority to remove all rubbish and structures built for the film before shooting began and had provided them with equipment and funds for this purpose.

 

However, the task had been delayed due to difficult terrain over the winter, she said.

 

The Shangrila county authority said Friday that all the waste and structures had been cleared.

 

(Xinhua News Agency May 13, 2006)