Filming in China
 

My 15-year-old son will be visiting his aunts & uncles in Wuhan beginning in late June. He has gotten heavily into video editing and wants to film exotic places when he visits Wuhan, Shanghai and Nanchang during the 5 weeks he and his sister will be in China. Besides obvious sites like military sites, are there any sites or anything else that he should avoid so he won't get in trouble and his film won't be confiscated?

I would avoid filming govt buildings, people in uniform, power plants, (security) at airports, train stations, anything
remotely resembling military. Other than that, public filming in general is more accepted in China than here in US.

One time I got a complaint from a location in Beijing while filming a monk, who had been paid quite a bit of money. So paid the temple a couple hundred rmb and they were happy.

Everybody is filming now with the smartphones. Just need to avoid "sensitive" places.

In Wuhan, I'd avoid filming the sites about Mao and the history of the communist party in China. Some of the expensive looking new construction (government office buildings and nice new apartments) could also be sensitive.

BTW, there's some interesting architecture on the campus of Wuhan University, near the lake. The kites along the river would be fun to photograph too, as would be the various dance/exercise groups along the river and in parks.

I've filmed all over China for more than 2 decades with no problems of any kind. There are a few places were filming is not permitted, e.g. Mao's tomb in Tienanmen Square, but it's clearly posted. I've filmed people in uniform, government buildings, just about everything you can imagine (except, of course, military installations, but I can't imagine how any tourist would get close to one). I'd note, too, that a fair bit of the filming that I did was with a largish prosumer camcorder, i.e. it was hard to miss what I was doing. As with filming anywhere in the world, don't get up in people's faces and, if you're uncertain, ask first. I certainly wouldn't worry about it.

Filming with consumer-grade equipment is not normally a problem except for sensitive subjects as mentioned by yourself and others above. Filming with large, professional/journalist-grade equipment would be noticed and quite possibly questioned by the authorities.

Agree, the larger the camera the more apt to be questioned.
Also the content...put courthouse on that list of where not to film.

Chinese police officers try to block a journalist from filming the scene around the
courthouse in Beijing Wednesday, June 20, 2012. Chinese police on Wednesday barred
outspoken artist Ai Weiwei from attending the first hearing of a lawsuit brought by his company
against Beijing tax authorities and blocked reporters from filming at the courthouse, part of an
intimidation campaign aimed at silencing the prominent artist and outspoken government critic. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

http://old.reporter-ohne-grenzen.de/...98169e69f4.jpg

This is the camera that I used to use in China (until I upgraded to HD). I usually shot with a tripod, and never had any issues whatsoever.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41169J26TQL.jpg

^

I remember the Harbin video in 07.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/7344721-post1.html

Thanks! :)

Search youtube "Harbin Ice Festival"...your video comes up number 2..out of a thousand. With 60k views.:-)

Thanks for all of the helpful replies. My son has a number of very interesting opportunities in addition to the filming, so I hope that they come to fruition. ( for instance, in conjunction with his internship teaching, he will be on several radio shows in Wuhan.) This forum has been very useful.

Glad to hear you have received good advice from this forum. Remember your first post here 6 years agi.^