China
People's Republic of China
Capital: Beijing Official languages: Chinese Location: Asia Appearance in games: |
China is one of the largest countries in the world, and is the most populous with over 1.3 million inhabitants at the time of writing. It is located in Eastern Asia and and has a continuous history dating back 5000 years. It has been featured in Tomb Raider II and in the motion picture Lara Croft Tomb Raider.
Contents |
China in Tomb Raider II
Lara Croft visits China while hunting for the fabled Dagger of Xian, an artefact that when stabbed into a person's chest turns that person into a large dragon. She visits one of the country's most famous landmarks, the Great Wall, and later returns to the Temple of Xian which is located underneath it. China encapsulates eight levels in Tomb Raider II, the first, four later in the Tibet region after a few levels in Italy and in the North Atlantic Ocean, and three inside the Great Wall of China again:
- The Great Wall
- Tibetan Foothills
- Barkhang Monastery
- Catacombs of the Talion
- Ice Palace
- Temple Of Xian
- Floating Islands
- The Dragon's Lair
China is the location for almost half of the gameplay. The name 'Xian' itself is probably derived from name of the city of Xi An which was the capital of Imperial China for numerous dynasties albeit under different names. The city's name Xi An means 'Western Peace' and is the location of the famed Terracotta Warriors of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's tomb.
China in Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life
China is also the one of the sets of the second Tomb Raider motion picture, making it's appearance with The Great Wall, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Among the white-knuckle action sequences that take place during this time are the duo's entry by spaceplane, an intense fight scene in suburban Shanghai and the dramatic leap off the then-under-construction International Finance Centre skyscraper in Hong Kong, landing on a ship out in the Kowloon Bay.
Despite being filmed in Hong Kong, the final movie was banned in China (except in Hong Kong and Macau) after the government complained that it portrayed their country as having "secret societies." One scene in the movie was set in Shanghai, but it was shot on a set and not on location.
External Links
- Tomb Raider II at Tomb Raider Chronicles
- Tomb Raider II at Tomb Raider Forums
- Tomb Raider II at Stella's Tomb Raider Microsite
- Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life at Tomb Raider Chronicles
- Tomb Raider Movies at Tomb Raider Forums
Gallery
Loading screen for the China levels of Tomb Raider II
Loading screen for the Tibet levels of Tomb Raider II
Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft in the Cradle of Life
