A series of movie-going subsidy initiatives rolled out across China during the Qingming Festival holiday, paired with a diverse slate of high-quality new releases, has stimulated audience enthusiasm and boosted the national film market.
In Fuzhou City’s Linchuan District, in east China’s Jiangxi Province, local cinemas have launched several preferential policies that lower the cost of watching a film at the cinema. Moviegoers can enjoy an additional 3.1-yuan discount on top of 50 percent off for online ticket purchases, while front-row tickets come with an extra 6.1-yuan reduction on the 50 percent discount.
Complementary membership top-up benefits are also available, making a trip to the cinema more accessible to all.
“Previously, a movie ticket cost me more than 30 yuan, but now I can get one for just a little over 20 yuan. It’s such a great deal,” said Huang Fangling, a local resident.
“During the holiday, we receive 400 to 500 visitors per day, with our attendance rate 50 percent higher than usual. The rising cinema attendance has also driven up our sales revenue,” said Cheng Huanfei, manager of Hengdian Cinema in Linchuan.
Beyond direct ticket price cuts in Jiangxi, cinemas in Wuxi City, east China’s Jiangsu Province, have delivered benefits straight to consumers through exclusive viewing subsidies via integrated online and offline channels.
“We are offering viewing subsidies from April 4 to 6. Every day at 10:00, customers can claim a 20-yuan viewing subsidy through the Taopiaopiao mini-program, then purchase discounted tickets for their preferred showtime to enjoy a better movie-going experience,” said Zhang Kaiqiang, store manager of the Central Branch of Wuxi Wanda Cinema.
Fueled by these initiatives, cinemas have registered a notable surge in visitor numbers across China.
In Tianshui City, in northwest China’s Gansu Province, local cinemas have optimized their screening schedules to match the holiday demand. Six new releases are being screened in rotation across eight screens, with the cinema expecting to receive over 2,600 visitors during the holiday, a roughly 30 percent increase compared with regular days.
“All of our auditoriums are open throughout the day, with additional screenings added across all time slots to meet the surging audience demand for this Qingming Festival holiday. This year’s Qingming releases cover a rich variety of genres with a wide audience reach, and we have correspondingly raised the number of screenings for high-quality films,” said Zhang Zhang, manager of the Wanda Cinema in Tianshui.
Beijing has also ramped up its efforts to expand cultural benefits for the public.
Since the start of April, the capital has launched a public movie-watching subsidy initiative, supported by a special municipal fund for cultural consumption promotion. A total of 5 million yuan (about 726,000 U.S. dollars) has been allocated for subsidies covering moviegoing and related sectors.
Subsidies boost film market across China during Qingming Festival holiday
U.S. President Donald Trump posted “Tuesday, 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time!” on social media on Sunday, a message that appeared to signal a possible extension of the deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
On March 21, Trump threatened to hit and obliterate Iranian power plants if the country fails to fully open the strait within 48 hours. Two days later, he postponed strikes on power plants for five days, claiming to have held productive conversations with Iran.
On March 26, Trump again pushed the deadline back, saying that he will pause planned strikes on Iranian energy facilities for 10 days, to April 6, the upcoming Monday at 20:00 Eastern Time. On Saturday, Trump reaffirmed that Iran has 48 hours to strike a deal on opening up the strait or face “Hell.”
However, in the post on Sunday, Trump appeared to hint at extending the deadline for Iran to reopen the strait for another time.
In a post earlier Sunday, the U.S. president threatened that Tuesday would be “Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one” for Iran, and again urged Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz.
Despite the threats, Trump said on Sunday that he believes a deal can be reached before the deadline, adding that Iran is currently negotiating. If Iran refuses, he said he is considering bombing everything and seizing Iran’s oil.
Ali Abdollahi, chief commander of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, responded Saturday that the Iranian armed forces would not hesitate for a moment to defend the country’s rights and protect national assets and will put the aggressors in their place.
Trump also claimed that earlier this year, the U.S. sent weapons to Iranian protesters through the Kurds, though he believes the Kurds took them.
He also said he was very satisfied with a recent operation to rescue the pilot of a U.S. fighter jet that was shot down in Iranian airspace. He said Israel had assisted with the rescue, describing the bilateral relationship as big brother and little brother.
Trump hints at extending deadline for Iran to reopen Strait of Hormuz
