The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo performs in Edinburgh in August 2018. Photo: Courtesy of ATW

A film featuring The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, debuted in Chinese cinemas in Beijing and Shanghai on Friday, bringing the live show that the tattoo performs for four weeks every August at the Edinburgh Art Festival to China for the first time ever. 

The film was shot by the BBC over a period of three nights in August 2018, while the Royal Air Force celebrated its centenary. Not only are traditional Scottish military dances and music on display, but also performances from other parts of the world, including Malawi, Oman and the US. 

Around 1,200 military and civilian performers take part in the show every year.

While authenticity is the heart of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, cultural exchanges and diversity also play a key role in making the performance an international affair that attracts audiences from all over the world. In 2015, the Chinese People's Liberation Army was invited to join in the tattoo for a performance in Edinburgh. 

"The tattoo keeps evolving with people's needs and aspirations," Lynsey Fusco, head of marketing and communications at The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, told the Global Times. 

In 2018, the tattoo announced plans to introduce a digitized version of the performance to cinemas in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Fusco noted that China is also a core component in its global marketing scheme. 

The film has been imported into the Chinese mainland through the joint efforts of the tattoo, ATW Beijing and CinemaLive and will also be screened in cinemas in cities including Chengdu in Sichuan Province, Guangzhou in Guangdong Province and Wuhan in Hubei Province in February.