Hometown of apricot shown in cinemas

A comedy depicting rural life in a county in south Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region has been well received in Beijing.

The online promotion of Romance of Apricot, which was held together with a cinema show in Beijing, attracted 1.7 million online views on Thursday and Friday, said Gao Xinchun, Party chief of Yengisar county, on Saturday.

Romance of Apricot was first shown in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang on Tuesday, and it had its first display in Beijing on Thursday. More than 500 tickets were sold within four hours, Gao said.

The movie, shot in Yengisar county, tells a story about college graduates from the county helping locals to grow and sell apricots and develop traditional pottery culture. The county produces 250,000 metric tons of apricots every year, and is one of China's major apricot production areas.

"I hope to present a real and modern Xinjiang, a vibrantly developing Xinjiang, to the audience through the film," said Yan Qingxiu, director of the film.

The movie, which is on display in Beijing, will be shown nationwide in China, Gao said.