Special report: The Da Vinci Code in controversy

    BEIJING, June 9 (Xinhua) -- The controversial blockbuster "The Da Vinci Code" was withdrawn from Chinese cinemas by its state-owned distributor on Friday, three weeks after its release here.

    The withdrawal is to make way for home-made movies releasing in the upcoming month, Weng Li, deputy manager of the exhibition and distribution arm of the China Film Group Corporation (CFGC), told Xinhua on Friday.

    Regulations from the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) put a limit on the number of imported films allowed to be shown in China from June 10 to July 10 to protect the domestic film industry.

    "We made a purely commercial decision. No single film could monopolize the market for one or two months, not even in the United States," Weng said.

    "We're making room for the next month when dozens of home-made films will show across the country."

    Having made 104 million yuan (13 million U.S. dollars) since its release on May 19, "The Da Vinci Code" was on its way to becoming one of the highest-ever earning foreign films in China.

    Two other U.S. films -- "Ice Age 2: The Meltdown" and "The Poseidon Adventure" -- will continue to play in Chinese cinemas.

    At the China premiere of "The Da Vinci Code", four and a half hours before the film's showing at the Cannes Film Festival, Xu Bing, a spokesman with CFGC, predicted it was likely to take more than 60 million yuan (7.5 million U.S. dollars) on the mainland.

    The film has sparked controversy around the world and accusations of blasphemy with its premise that the Catholic church tried to cover up the supposed marriage of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene. Enditem