Peking Opera-themed film 'Enter the Forbidden City' set for release

Hu says the film reminded some old viewers of Mei Lanfang's 1930 tour to five cities across the United States to publicize the Peking Opera.

Enter the Forbidden City will hit Chinese mainland theaters on May 10.

Set during the reign of Qing court's emperor Qianlong (1711-99), the film unfolds with the interwoven fates of two Peking Opera artists, Wang Ruisheng and Yue Jiu.

As then government treated opera performers as low-status entertainers, they were forbidden to marry civilians, according to Hu.