Top culture and entertainment events of 2017

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It was a year of twists and turns, starting with the dramatic blunder at the Oscars when the presenters wrongly announced that “La La Land" won Best Picture instead of “Moonlight.” But with China’s record box office revenues, Victoria’s Secret Asian debut in Shanghai and the Louvre Museum opening in Abu Dhabi, 2017 wasn’t so bad after all – except for the sex scandal that engulfed Hollywood.

As we bid adieu to this year, CGTN takes a look at important moments in the world of culture and entertainment, tracing the major events that have shaped our society.

China

"Wolf Warrior 2" sets Chinese box office record with 5.68 billion yuan

Photo via douban.com

China's annual box office exceeded the 50-billion-yuan mark for the first time ever, and what's even more inspiring is that domestic films contributed to more than half of the earnings. One film in particular is the action-packed "Wolf Warrior 2," which raked in 5.68 billion yuan, or 850 million US dollars, to become the highest-grossing film of all time in Chinese history. Its box office revenue accounts for nearly one-tenth of the country's total gross. It is also the first Chinese film to make it onto the global list of highest-grossing films.

The action blockbuster, directed and starred by Wu Jing, tells the story of a former Chinese Special Forces operative venturing into Africa's war-torn regions, and saving hundreds of lives from insurgents and mercenaries.

Hoh Xil and Gulangyu Island joins UNESCO World Heritage list

CGTN Photo

China has added two places to the UNESCO World Heritage list this year – Hoh Xil and Gulangyu Island – at the 41st session of the World Heritage Committee in the Polish city of Krakow in early July. So far, China has 52 natural heritage sites, second only to Italy.

Hoh Xil, an isolated region in the northwestern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China, covers an area of 3.7 million hectares. As the world's largest, highest and youngest plateau, it hosts many endemic species, especially Tibetan antelopes.

The Gulangyu Island in southeast China's Fujian Province includes a settlement of 931 historical buildings which represent a variety of local and international architectural styles, natural scenery, historic roads and gardens.

Hip-hop takes China by storm

Handout Photo

Almost overnight, hip-hop took the center stage in China's music world with the mega-hit talent show "The Rap of China," the first of its kind in the country that focuses on hip-hop and has brought many artists previously considered underground into the mainstream.

The show was viewed online more than 100 million times in the first four hours, and a month later the number skyrocketed to 1.3 billion. It also popularized the buzz phrase "Do you have freestyle?" which was frequently asked by pop star Kris Wu, a member on the judging panel, during the show.

Despite the mixed reviews and complaints about over-exposure, one thing is for sure: the huge success of “The Rap of China” has pushed this genre into the country’s spotlight and revealed a hidden passion for rap among many young Chinese.

Tan Dun awarded Golden Lion Award for Lifetime Achievement

CGTN Photo

Chinese musician Tan Dun was awarded the Golden Lion Award for Lifetime Achievement by the Board of the Venice Biennale in recognition of his music for embodying traditional Chinese culture and global innovation.

"Tan Dun's compositions paradigmatically express his ideal of organic music in symbiosis with the environment, in which natural elements such as water, stones, paper and ceramic objects interact with the traditional instruments of the orchestra," a statement read.

Tan is best-known for his score for the Oscar-winning film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” as well as music for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Victoria's Secret makes Asia debut in Shanghai

CGTN Photo

For global brands looking to expand their sales, China’s massive market is their best hope. And Victoria's Secret is no exception. The lingerie-maker made its Asia debut in Shanghai on Nov. 21 in splendiferous fashion. The epic show was the most diverse in its 22-year history with models from across the globe, including a record number from China, hitting the runway.

The show cast four musical performers including Jane Zhang, the first Chinese singer on the show. It was also a night of surprises with the dramatic fall of Chinese model Xi Mengyao shocking audiences and dominating the conversation on Chinese social media afterwards.

International

"Envelope-gate" and the Oscars

AP Photo

The 89th Academy Awards got off on the right foot, with a song and a dance, but ended with an unprecedented twist. Legendary actors Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty, holding an incorrect envelope, wrongly presented the top prize to the musical "La La Land" instead of the drama "Moonlight."

The moment at the conclusion of the show was so jaw-dropping, it eclipsed everything else in a ceremony that was packed to the brim with Donald Trump jabs, fun stunts, heartfelt positivity and a stunning upset by the coming-of-age drama over the Hollywood musical, which had been considered the darling of critics throughout the awards season.

However, the ceremony will also be remembered for the diversity of the victors and underlying political tone.

"Salvator Mundi" auctions for record $450 mln

AFP Photo

A rare painting of Christ by Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci was sold for a record 450 million US dollars in November. The painting is known as "Salvator Mundi," Italian for "Savior of the World." Before the historical auction, the highest price paid for a work of art had been 179.4 million US dollars for Picasso's "Women of Algiers (Version O)", and the highest known selling price for any artwork had been 300 million US dollars for Willem de Kooning's "Interchange."

Scholars believe the da Vinci painting is one of the few works by Leonardo to survive the centuries since his death and the only one in private hands.

Abu Dhabi opens Louvre Museum

AFP Photo

After a decade-long wait, Abu Dhabi has finally opened its Louvre Museum this year as the city positions itself to be cultural center for tourists. Surrounded by water on three sides, the Abu Dhabi Louvre houses 900 works by artists such as Paul Gauguin, Vincent Van Gogh, and Pablo Picasso.

The Abu Dhabi museum was set up under a 2007 inter-governmental agreement between Paris and Abu Dhabi. Originally slated to open in 2012, it was delayed by the global financial crisis and then by low oil prices.

Kazuo Ishiguro wins 2017 Nobel Prize in Literature

AP Photo

British novelist Kazuo Ishiguro, best known for his novel "The Remains of the Day" and "Never Let Me Go," won the Nobel Prize in Literature this year. The 62-year-old, praised for “his novels of great emotional force, has uncovered the abyss beneath our illusory sense of connection with the world” by the Swedish Academy.

Ishiguro's winning came as a surprise as Canadian's Margaret Atwood, Kenya's Ngugi Wa Thiong'o and Japan's Haruki Murakami were considered hot contenders on several websites.

Born in Nagasaki, Japan, Ishiguro moved to Britain with his family when he was five, only returning to visit Japan as an adult.

Hollywood sex scandal and #MeToo campaign

AFP Photo

It all began with a bombshell report carried out by the New York Times in October, which broke the news of allegations that Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein had engaged in inappropriate sexual advances.

The report was filled with detailed allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse involving famous actresses such as Ashley Judd and Rose McGowan, as well as half a dozen former employees.

The allegations led to Weinstein's downfall – he was fired from the company he started, and kicked out of a number of prestigious organizations including the Oscars Academy.

The scandal also ignited a #MeToo movement on social media where men and women spoke out about harassment. As a result, famous faces in movies, TV and elsewhere, including Kevin Spacey, Matt Lauer and Louis CK, have been summarily fired.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to tie the knot

Reuters Photo

The news that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are going to marry next year hit the public by surprise. The Clarence House announced at the end of November that the couple became engaged earlier that month. Then the Kensington Palace revealed that the couple will marry on May 19 at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle near London.

The couple will live at Nottingham Cottage in London's Kensington Palace, where his brother William and his wife Kate live with their two children. Harry and Meghan are believed to have met in May 2016 in Toronto, Canada, where the actress lived.