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Contemporary Traditional Cultural Philosophy and Re-Creation: Interview with Huo Tingxiao
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Wen Xin
Wen Xin is the lecturer of the School of Fine Art, Beijing Film Academy.
Huo Tingxiao is the professor and doctoral supervisor of Beijing Film Academy, vice chairman of China Film Association, and president of the China Film Art Direction Asssocaition.
Published/Copyright:
May 7, 2025
Abstract
The interview with Huo Tingxiao explores his artistic journey and contributions to Chinese cinema, particularly in integrating traditional Eastern aesthetics into modern film production. Huo discusses his early education in painting, his transition to film art design, and his experiences working on notable films such as Hero, House of Flying Daggers, and Curse of the Golden Flower. He emphasizes the significance of traditional Chinese philosophical and artistic concepts, in shaping cinematic visuals. His work reflects a deep engagement with Chinese cultural heritage, employing elements like calligraphy, chess, and landscape painting techniques to enhance storytelling. Embracing technology, Huo acknowledges AI’s role in accelerating concept design but stresses that human creativity and cultural depth remain irreplaceable. He urges young filmmakers to master traditional arts, enhance interdisciplinary communication, and innovate while honoring heritage.
Keywords: Eastern aesthetics; visual storytelling; technological innovation; cultural heritage; artistic legacy
About the authors
Wen Xin
Wen Xin is the lecturer of the School of Fine Art, Beijing Film Academy.
Huo Tingxiao
Huo Tingxiao is the professor and doctoral supervisor of Beijing Film Academy, vice chairman of China Film Association, and president of the China Film Art Direction Asssocaition.
Appendix 1: Chronology of Huo Tingxiao’s Film Productions
| Year | Film title | Role | Director(s) | Award(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1991 | Life on a String | Assistant Art Director | Chen Kaige | 1991 Cannes Film Festival – Palme d’Or (Nominated) |
| 2 | 1993 | A Woman from North Shaanxi | Assistant Art Director | Yang Fengliang Zhou Youchao |
– |
| 3 | 1993 | Farewell My Concubine | Co-Assistant Art Director | Chen Kaige | 1993 Cannes Film Festival – Palme d’Or, FIPRESCI Prize; 1994 Golden Globe Awards – Best Foreign Language Film |
| 4 | 1994 | Red Firecracker, Green Firecracker | Art Director | He Ping | 1994 Golden Rooster Awards – Best Director, Best Co-Production Film, Best Art Direction |
| 5 | 1994 | Wing Chun | Art Designer | Yuen Woo-ping | – |
| 6 | 1996 | The Great Battle: Northwest Liberation | Co-Art Director | Wei Linyu | – |
| 7 | 1998 | The Emperor and the Assassin | Co-Art Designer | Chen Kaige | 1999 Golden Rooster Awards – Best Art Direction, Best Set Decoration, Best Cinematography; 1999 Cannes Film Festival – Technical Grand Prize (Award for Outstanding Artistic Contribution) |
| 8 | 1999 | A Tree in House | Art Director | Yang Yazhou | 1998 Golden Rooster Awards – Best Director (Nominated), Best Actor; 2000 Far East Film Festival – Best Feature Film |
| 9 | 2000 | Song of Tibet | Co-Art Director | Xie Fei | 2000 Golden Rooster Awards – Special Jury Prize, Best Director Special Award, Best Screenplay Special Award, Best Music |
| 10 | 2001 | The Warrior | Art Director | Kim Sung-su | 2002 Grand Bell Awards – Best Costume Design |
| 11 | 2002 | Pretty Big Feet | Art Designer | Yang Yazhou | 2002 Golden Rooster Awards – Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Actress; 2003 Hundred Flowers Awards – Best Feature Film (Nominated) |
| 12 | 2002 | Hero | Co-Art Director | Zhang Yimou | 2003 Berlin International Film Festival – Silver Bear (Alfred Bauer Prize); 2003 Hong Kong Film Awards – Best Art Direction, Best Visual Effects |
| 13 | 2004 | House of Flying Daggers | Art Director | Zhang Yimou | 2004 Golden Rooster Awards – Best Art Direction; 2004 National Society of Film Critics Awards – Best Production Design; 2004 Satellite Awards – Best Art Direction; 2005 BAFTA Awards – Best Production Design (Nominated) |
| 14 | 2005 | Taihang Mountain | Co-Art Director | Wei Lian Shen Dong Chen Jian |
2005 Golden Rooster Awards – Best Feature Film, Best Art Direction (Nominated); 2007 Huabiao Film Awards – Outstanding Feature Film |
| 15 | 2006 | Loach Is Fish Too | Art Director | Yang Yazhou | 2005 Tokyo International Film Festival – Artistic Contribution Award; 2006 Beijing College Student Film Festival – Jury Prize |
| 16 | 2006 | Little Red Flowers | Art Director | Zhang Yuan | 2006 Golden Horse Awards – Best Adapted Screenplay; 2006 Beijing College Student Film Festival – Best Director |
| 17 | 2006 | Snow in the Wind | Art Director | Yang Yazhou | 2006 Montreal International Film Festival – Special Jury Prize |
| 18 | 2006 | Curse of the Golden Flower | Art Director | Zhang Yimou | 2007 Hong Kong Film Awards – Best Art Direction, Best Costume & Makeup Design |
| 19 | 2009 | Wheat | Art Director | He Ping | 2009 Golden Rooster Awards – Best Art Direction (Nominated) |
| 20 | 2010 | True Legend | Art Director | Yuen Woo-ping | – |
| 21 | 2010 | Aftershock | Art Director | Feng Xiaogang | 2011 Golden Rooster Awards – Best Art Direction, Best Music; 2011 Beijing College Student Film Festival – Best Film |
| 22 | 2012 | White Deer Plain | Art Director | Wang Quan’an | 2012 Berlin International Film Festival – Golden Bear (Nominated), Silver Bear (Outstanding Artistic Achievement); 2012 Golden Horse Awards – Best Art Direction (Nominated) |
| 23 | 2017 | A Paper Marriage | Art Director | Zhang Hui | 2017 Montreal World Film Festival – Chinese Film Competition (Nominated) |
| 33 | 2023 | Ping Pong: The Triumph | Art Director | Deng Chao Yu Baimei |
2023 Golden Rooster Awards – Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Sound Recording; Best Art Direction (Nominated) |
| 34 | 2022 | Iron Will | Art Director | Ning Haiqiang | – |
| 35 | TBD | Seven Saints | Art Director | Ma Chucheng | – |
| 36 | 2024 | Dream of the Red Chamber | Art Director | Hu Mei | – |
| 37 | TBD | The Mountain Breaker | Art Director | Yi Xiang | – |
| 38 | TBD | Reinforcements Arrive Tomorrow | Art Director | Zhang Yang Qin Tianzhu |
– |
| 39 | TBD | Tian Qi and Shi Sheng | Art Director | Yan Zhixiong | – |
Appendix 2: Chronology of Huo Tingxiao’s Television Productions
| Year | Film title | Role | Director(s) | Award(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1996 | Men and Women | Art Designer | Xie Xiaojing | – |
| 2 | 1999 | Partner | Art Designer | Yang Yazhou | – |
| 3 | 2000 | Fatal Encounter | Art Director | Ding Hei Zhang Xiaoguang |
– |
| 4 | 2000 | Fortune and Happiness | Art Director | Shu Gang Liu Jiang |
– |
| 5 | 2004 | Ancient Tea Horse Road | Chief Art Director | Wang Wenjie Kong Sheng |
– |
| 6 | 2005 | Where Do You Stay | Art Director | Tang Danian | – |
| 7 | 2017 | The Glory of Tang Dynasty | Chief Art Director | Liu Guonan Yin Tao |
– |
| 8 | 2020 | Qin Dynasty Epic | Chief Art Designer | Yan Yi Gu Qiming Qiang Long Liu Yongtao |
Golden Seagull Award – Outstanding Art Direction in a TV Drama |
Received: 2025-03-27
Accepted: 2025-03-28
Published Online: 2025-05-07
Published in Print: 2025-04-28
© 2025 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
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- Frontmatter
- Research Articles
- A Memorandum of the Chinese Film Industry in 2024
- Xie Jin: A Distinguished Pioneer of the Mind-Nature Realism Film Paradigm
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Keywords for this article
Eastern aesthetics;
visual storytelling;
technological innovation;
cultural heritage;
artistic legacy
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Research Articles
- A Memorandum of the Chinese Film Industry in 2024
- Xie Jin: A Distinguished Pioneer of the Mind-Nature Realism Film Paradigm
- Balanced Harmony: Aesthetic Realms in Chinese Film
- “Aspiration” and “Rhetoric”: Lyric Aesthetics of Chinese Small-Town Films
- The Cinematic Representation of the Factory Zone by Young Directors in the 21st Century
- From Drama to Film, as a Genre Bridge and New Main Melody Narrator – A Discussion on the Creation Path of Up-and-Coming Director Rao Xiaozhi
- Landscape and Memory: Homeland Narratives and Space Production of New Directors
- Interview
- Contemporary Traditional Cultural Philosophy and Re-Creation: Interview with Huo Tingxiao
- Film Reviews
- A Tapestry of a Legendary Land: the Flow and Fluidity of Beauty of Chinese Culture
- Searchlight or Scalpel? The Value and Expectancy of Upstream
