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)
Huang Huixiong, founder of Chongqing Grey Bear Film Company, supplied more than 500 sets of individual combat equipment, uniforms, and props for the production. In an interview on August 21, he described the project as the most rigorous he has ever undertaken. "Working with Li Zhou — the costume designer behind
The Eight Hundred,
The Sacrifice, and
Home Coming — felt like archaeological research," Huang said. "We spent more than half our time digging through archives. Every button, every strap color, every name tape on an extra had to be verified."
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 path to this world began at Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, where he founded a military enthusiasts' club. After graduation, he launched Grey Bear Film near campus, offering military prop rentals, special effects, and defense education exhibitions. Xinhua has previously profiled his unusual career trajectory. "Most people have regrets — reality keeps them from turning their passion into a profession," he reflected. "I'm lucky."
Huang's company focuses on authentic military outfits and props for filmmaking (Photo: Interviewee)
The props have since returned to his Bishan warehouse, where they await their next deployment. Looking ahead, Huang plans to expand beyond historical military gear into science fiction — developing large-scale sci-fi vehicles and futuristic individual equipment. For now, though, his work on
Once Upon a Time in the Middle East stands as a testament to
what happens when fandom meets filmmaking: authenticity down to the last button.