CRI听力:Chinese Filmmakers, Tourists Eye for Prague

Chinese romantic drama Somewhere Only We Know, filmed in the Czech capital Prague, introduced Chinese moviegoers to the European city last year and left many deeply impressed by its beauty.

Thomas Krejci, executive producer of Milk and Honey Pictures, participated in the shooting of the film.

"At that time two years ago they started looking for some city where they could basically produce this European story. This European story has been very essential for the movie itself. At that time, they had been looking at Paris. Since Paris turned out to be so expensive, they basically changed their mind and instead of shooting in Paris, they basically decided to shoot here in Prague."

Prague not only boasts a number of fairy-tale castles, but also allows tax savings of 60 percent compared with Paris.

The Czech government has established a film reward plan to attract producers from around the world.

Katerina Kalistova is the Czech Deputy Minister of Culture.

"We pay back 20 percent of the money spent in the Czech Republic to the Czech residents. That's how we support it financially. But in the Czech Republic, we have very nice locations, we have a very dense net of castles and chateaux. [That's] why the international productions go to Czech Republic very often, and I hope that we will have more Chinese productions here."

More Chinese directors and producers are planning to look for film subjects in Prague.

Krejci says he is doing three Chinese films.

"Now, the thinking of the Chinese audience is far more international. China wants to... be seen in a context of everybody else living outside of China."

China and the Czech Republic signed a memorandum of understanding on film exchanges and cooperation last November.

This cooperation has not only boosted cultural exchanges between the two countries, but also stimulated tourism development.

According to Czech Tourism Administration, the number of Chinese tourists visiting the Czech Republic each year has increased from just 17,000 in 2005 to more than a quarter of a million last year.