LIJIANG, Yunnan, Dec. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- A film directed by renowned Chinese director Zhang Yimou, made its domestic debut in Lijiang, an ancient city, where the film was shot, in southwest China's Yunnan Province, on Friday night.

    The film, titled " Riding Along For Thousands of Miles," was starred by veteran Japanese actor Takakura Ken. It tells a story that Takada, a Japanese fisherman, fulfills the last wish of his dying son by traveling thousands of miles to China's Yunnan Province to search for the secret behind a local opera play, called Riding along for Thousands of Miles.

    Zhang Yimou, who has been Takakura's admirer for almost 30 years, made the film just for fulfilling his own wish of working with Takakura Ken.

    The film made its global debut at the opening session of the 18th Tokyo International Film Festival on Oct. 22.

    Takakura, one of the best-known actors in Japan, has played roles in 204 films - including Zhang's - and won international recognition after starring in the 1975 Sydney Pollack hit "The Yakuza" and in Ridley Scott's 1989 work "Black Rain."

    Invested by the Beijing New Picture Edko Films, "Riding Along For Thousands of Miles" was made at a cost of 60 million yuan (about 7.3 million US dollars), much less than Zhang's two previous films, "Hero" and "House Of Flying Daggers," both had been nominated for best foreign film Oscars.

    The film will be formally released in China on Dec. 22. Enditem