Director James Cameron says he decided to shoot scenes of a Chinese passenger after he read account of his survival, Xu Fan reports. 

Twenty-five years ago, Titanic made its debut in China, swiftly taking the country by storm and dominating local media headlines.

The Hollywood blockbuster also left many Chinese viewers heartbroken as they watched Leonardo DiCaprio's character Jack Dawson leaving his beloved woman to survive alone. However, many viewers may not know that the iconic scene featuring Rose DeWitt Bukater — the American socialite, played by Kate Winslet — lying on a floating piece of wood was inspired by a Chinese survivor who was then on the passenger liner, RMS Titanic.

The British ship struck an iceberg and sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean during its maiden voyage in 1912, claiming more than 1,500 lives of the 2,200 people aboard.

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the film a new 3D remastered version of Titanic is showing in China on more than 3,000 screens affiliated with the National Alliance of Arthouse Cinemas since April 3. The movie has also been rescreened in various formats, such as Cinity and Imax, in major cinema chains across the mainland.