Chongqing—The Chinese war drama film Once Upon a Time in the Middle East (Chinese title: Welcome to the Dragon Restaurant), directed by Wen Muye and starring Shen Teng, has been earning praise from military enthusiasts for its painstaking authenticity. What audiences may not realize is that much of the gear worn by foreign soldiers on screen came from a warehouse in Chongqing, curated by a man who turned a college hobby into a professional calling.

Huang prepared this authentic military gear for the film (Photo: Interviewee)

The attention to detail was relentless. Huang recalled commissioning an Australian Army uniform that cost several thousand yuan, only to see it flash by in a single long shot. "Most viewers won't even notice there are Australian troops in the film, let alone other coalition forces," he said. "But the crew insisted on getting it right."

Huang's company focuses on authentic military outfits and props for filmmaking (Photo: Interviewee)