Reflections of China

Journey through ancient and modern China while watching this 12-minute Circle-Vision 360° film, screening in the China Pavilion.

“In China, we say ‘A poem in every painting and a painting in every poem.’”

Reflections of China is one of those gems of an attraction that most people seem to bypass, which is too bad as its Circle-Vision 360° film, while a bit dated, is full of gorgeous scenery, encompassing both the pure natural settings of China such as the towering mountain range of Huangshan along with plenty of footage focusing on the newer hustling and bustling of such cities as Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Guests are ushered through the magnificent Temple of Heaven–which in China is really a complex of buildings and not one singular structure. The architecture and detailing are not to be missed, nor should the showrooms adjacent to the waiting room, especially the recreations of the terracotta soldiers who served China’s first emperor, Shi Huang.

The film is narrated by ancient philosopher and poet, Li Bai, who provides a sense of levity to what could have turned out to be a standard travelogue with no real reward for viewers to consume. From the busy streets of Shanghai to the waters of the Yangtze River and the canals of Suzhou (“The Venice of the East”). Li Bai provides a cursory glimpse of the role China plays in the arts as well as the philosophy of its people. The film concludes, of course, on the Great Wall of China where Li-Bai bids farewell and vanishes into thin air as if by magic…or old-school camera trickery.

Behind the Schemes:

Reflections of China replace an earlier film, The Wonders of China, which was basically the same setup and even included some of the same footage.

Reality Check:

The quote in the film “Traveling against the currents of the Yangtze is more difficult than climbing to Heaven” is attributed to poet, Du Fu, who was also a friend of poet Li Bai during the reign of the Tang Dynasty (618–690, 705–907).

Li Bai was not afraid of consuming wine and the legend goes that he drowned after drunkenly falling into a river, gazing at the moon’s reflection in the water.

The Forbidden City is made up of nearly 1,000 structures and served as the imperial palace of leaders from the Ming to Qing dynasties. Almost all structures are made entirely of wood which has resulted in The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) listing it as the largest collection of preserved wood in the world. 

Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1987 film, The Last Emperor, was the first full-length movie to be shot in the Forbidden City. 

Singer Christina Aguilera’s first release in the United States was the song “Reflection” from the soundtrack of the 1997 animated film, Mulan. The video for the song was filmed outside of the Temple of Heaven in EPCOT’s China pavilion.

While many dynasties were responsible for the construction of The Great Wall of China, a major use for it was to defend the Ming dynasty fend off the encroachment of Mongol and Manchu tribes raiding their lands. The Manchus eventually penetrated the defenses and successfully took over Beijing while defeating both the Shun and Ming dynasties in the process. 

Jeff Blyth is the director of Reflections of China, as well as other Disney Circle-Vision 360° films, The Timekeeper, American Journeys, and the original Wonders of China, as well as episodes of the Nickelodeon series, The Secret World of Alex Mack.