Director Chen Kaige's blockbuster film "The Promise" has certainly grabbed headlines.

First, it was the most expensive domestic film made. with an investment of 340 million yuan (US$42.5 million).

Then it was the subject of a popular parody.

Now it's about how the movie company treated the environment at a location where it built a set and filmed.

"The shooting of 'The Promise' has destroyed the natural sights of Bigu Tianchi in Yunnan Province's Shangrila," Qiu Baoxing, vice-minister of construction, said on Tuesday at a forum in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang Province.

A reinforced concrete structure was left on the shore of the lake, and more than 100 spiles were left in the water, said Qiu, citing media reports. Moreover, canteens, raincoats, bottles and plastic bags could be seen all around.

The State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), the nation's top watchdog, has instructed the provincial environmental protection bureau to investigate the issue, Zhu Xingxiang, a SEPA official, said yesterday.

He said that SEPA had not received a letter of complaint about the movie company's environmental destruction.

The location involved is at Bigu Tianchi, a mountainous lake at an altitude of 4,000 metres in picturesque Shangrila County.

Some reports indicated the ecosystem around the lake had also been destroyed. A China Central Television report dealt with both sides of that issue late last month.

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