The film was shot in Shandong province at the Laoling Film Studio in Laoling county-level city, Dezhou, where a replica of 1900s San Francisco Chinatown was built. Covering a 200,000-square-meter area, the set took seven months to complete, adding to the film's authenticity.

"The production value is incredible," Chamchoum says, expressing hope for further collaborations between Chinese and American filmmakers.

Detective Chinatown 1900 is among the flagship Chinese films released internationally during Spring Festival, China's most profitable box-office period. The film opened to 460 million yuan ($64 million) on its first day, Jan 29, the first day of Chinese New Year, and grossed 3.4 billion yuan in early March. The three preceding films in the franchise amassed over 8.74 billion yuan before the latest installment.

Contact the writer at renali@chinadailyusa.com