Harry Potter came to China! Not the mop-haired (头发蓬乱的), magic wizard wearing glasses and a black jacket, but a gentle boy with clear blue eyes, sunny smile, and a formal suit.
Xu Gang, 15, who gives Chinese voice to the boy wizard Harry Potter, greets the audience at the premiere of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in Shanghai.
He is Daniel Radcliffe, a 13-year-old teenager who has played Potter, the biggest and best hero in Britain since James Bond.
Daniel visited China for the first time on December 21 and 22. He presented the premiere (首映) of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" (《哈利·波特与密室》) in Beijing and Shanghai. The film will be released across China on January 23.
"I love China," said Daniel in broken Chinese. He paid a visit to the Great Wall and the Forbidden City (故宫) and was greatly impressed.
Daniel was thrown into stardom over night by the Harry Potter series. Right now, his salary, US$3 million from "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets", makes him one of the highest paid teen stars in the entertainment world.
"My life has changed surprisingly little. I'm just recognized sometimes, and people come up to me on the street. I'm honoured by all the fan letters I get, but I don't have a girlfriend," Daniel said when asked how his life changed since he entered the world of "Harry Potter".
Fame and fortune may not be what Daniel cared about most. He liked Potter and thought they two were similar, which is why he played the screen teen so well.
Daniel Radcliffe stands with his Chinese fan.
"Some things I have in common with him are that Harry's friends are very important to him, and my friends are also very important to me. We're both very curious, and that maybe gets us into trouble quite a lot."
Daniel said he learned a lot from the films. He saw how special effects (特技) worked with his own eyes. "I do as many of the stunts (惊险动作) as possible, it's really cool," he said.
Daniel hoped he could do all the five parts of the film series, because "I grow as Harry grows." But he admitted that he was only sure he was to star in the third film.
There is one thing Daniel was quite proud of: his acting career gets along well with his schoolwork. Although he had to spend at least five hours a day on set, he has caught up with all of the other kids.
He claimed that he did better with one-to-one tutoring (家教) than in a class of people. Among all the subjects, he liked English most. He also developed a great interest in directing and writing.