When the house lights come up in a screening hall, what possibilities unfold? Recently, Beijing officially launched its first batch of 12 cinema "new spaces."
These venues break through the traditional "movie-only" function of cinemas, integrating immersive tech experiences, displays of local cultural and creative products, diverse performing arts events, and parent-child interactive areas, ensuring compelling action both on and off the screen and creating new "film+" integrated consumption scenarios.
To meet challenges and embrace audiences, cinemas are transforming into rich, diverse cultural complexes, injecting new consumer vitality and cultural vibrancy into Beijing.
During the New Year's Day holiday, the Capital Cinema at Xidan celebrated the new year with audiences through three live broadcasts.
On the evening of January 1st, a live broadcast of the Vienna New Year's Concert filled the air with melodies spanning mountains and seas, as audiences listened before the screen to the New Year's bells from the Golden Hall; on January 2nd and 3rd, live streams for the popular games "Honor of Kings" and "Identity V" respectively drew crowds, with screening halls packed with enthusiastic players and fans.
As one of the single-location cinemas with the highest box office revenue nationally, Capital Cinema Xidan is not only a leader in its core business but also at the forefront of actively exploring "film+" initiatives.
Live broadcasts in screening halls, small-scale performances, bars and tea lounges, display and sale of cultural and creative products... stepping into this nationally famous, historically significant cinema, the pleasant surprises extend beyond the bustling crowds to the variety of cultural services available for experience.
"The novelty of the cinema new space lies primarily in the new service content offered to audiences," explained Yu Chao, Deputy General Manager of Capital Cinema.
After gradual upgrades and renovations, the Xidan location not only presents a refreshingly new appearance and spatial design, with many carefully crafted scenes becoming popular spots for photo opportunities, but its operational scope has also significantly broadened.
The cinema is not just a professional film screening venue; it can also become a comprehensive space承载 culture, reshaping people's imagination of what a movie theater can be.
"For multiplex cinemas, dedicating one auditorium to experiment with other content has minimal impact on film screening operations, while it can boost the cinema's popularity, drive the integration of culture, commerce, tourism, and sports, and forge a distinctive brand for the cinema," said Liu Jianxin, a cinema research expert.
Cinema development involving diverse operations has historical roots.
"Over 100 years ago when cinemas were first born in China, they were in theaters and teahouses, hosting performances, screening films, and selling pastries and tea," he noted.
"For decades after the founding of New China, cultural palaces, cine-theatres, and clubs that served film screening functions were also multi-purpose. In the 1990s, many cinemas also offered billiards, dining, clothing sales, and other services."
In his view, as competition intensifies for traditional cinema business models, this transformation represents a proactive change in response to challenges.
Four large screens—comprising the main screen, left and right side screens, and a ceiling screen—transform with dazzling light and shadow, turning the auditorium into a lively, bustling party venue.
Audiences gathered in the center form teams to engage in fierce competitions like fishing, treasure hunting, and ice hockey within the game world.
Those in the seats are not idle either, snacking while watching and commenting on their teammates' performances displayed on the big screens.
The Mirra Wonder Party integration hall, located at the Yaolai Jackie Chan Cinema in Wukesong, is the nation's first giant screen immersive film-gaming space.
This 330-square-meter, double-level space integrates film, gaming, performances, and dining. Three-sided环绕 LED interactive screens, combined with technologies like VR, motion capture, and AI image generation, allow players' movements such as running and jumping within the space to be projected onto the screens in real-time, creating the spectacle of virtual and reality competing side-by-side on the same screen.
During the day, it can serve as an immersive gaming arena or a venue for team-building gatherings; during the cinema's prime evening hours, it reverts to its cinematic function, where audiences can not only watch films but also order meals to enjoy alongside.
Wang Yujia, the person in charge of Beijing Yaolai Cinema, stated that creating such a "versatile screening hall" aims to break the limitations of traditional cinema's single function and activate underutilized space during non-peak hours.
"Cinema consumption experiences peaks and troughs; by creating new spaces, we want to open up new possibilities for cinema operations through spatial reuse and diversified offerings, making the integration hall the preferred destination for leisure and socializing," he said.
In his view, today's audiences, especially younger demographics, are no longer satisfied with "passive viewing" but seek experience, socialization, and a sense of participation; cinemas must be bold in pioneering trials, staying close to the market, and understanding consumer demands.
"As the terminal of the film industry, cinemas are essentially in the business of managing space. In recent years, facing pressure on box office revenue and attendance, for cinemas to survive, they must continuously develop new businesses to increase customer traffic," said Si Ruo, a professor at Tsinghua University's School of Journalism and Communication.
She believes that the integration of culture and technology will become one of the important ways for future cinemas to monetize their services.
"Film itself is a product of technology, evolving with technological advancements since its inception. Now, cinemas increasingly emphasize immersive experiences, which is also a positive expansion for mass entertainment consumption. From the perspective of content producers, cinemas also provide them with new market channels."
Putting on a headset instantly transports you into the adventure world of Langlang Mountain: immersed in the ink-wash painting style landscapes, both your viewing companions and yourself transform into characters from the story—pig demons, toad spirits, weasel spirits, and ape monsters.
This is a film where the audience "stars" and collaboratively completes the creation. Following the plot, they might delve into deep caves to fight minor monsters, ride a "flying carpet" through the clouds, pick up equipment to upgrade weapons on the go, and after passing various levels, face the ultimate challenge of the Yellow Brow Monster.
Located in the 798 Art District, 798 Super Dimension is the country's first virtual reality cinema.
Here, the viewing experience is no longer the traditional "watching" of a film but truly "stepping into" the film and becoming part of it.
The venue spans 3,500 square meters and houses 6 screening halls, including walk-through experiential halls, seated viewing halls, and a scene-specific hall for "Strange Tales of the Tang Dynasty: Journey West."
Currently, the available film roster has been updated to 15 titles, including several VR films that have already received the "Dragon Label" (official release permit), such as "Journey to the Center of the Earth," "Little Monsters of Langlang Mountain: Phantom Journey," "Mulan 2125," and "Mars Landing Project: Origins."
After experiencing "Little Monsters of Langlang Mountain: Phantom Journey," audience member Mr. Zhang was full of praise, repeatedly marveling at the wonders of VR cinema.
"The VR equipment I've tried before had low image quality, clichéd stories, and weak interactivity. This time, not only is the story background and character design consistent with 'Little Monsters of Langlang Mountain,' but the visuals are also stunning, and the immersive interactivity feels incredibly real!"
"We've essentially made a vertical upgrade to the viewing experience, truly allowing audiences to step into the story and engage in multi-perspective audiovisual experiences," said Qian Keda, Senior Project Manager at Beijing 798 Culture Technology Co., Ltd.
He believes that in the future, VR technology will significantly impact the film industry in various aspects, including artistic essence, market operation models, and cinema viewing patterns.
Since commencing operations in May 2025, 798 Super Dimension has already welcomed 63,000 visitors.
"As movie audiences evolve, future cinemas need to break away from sole reliance on box office revenue, vigorously develop 'cinema+' formats, upgrade into composite cultural consumption spaces centered around film,顺应 the trend of the experience economy, fully utilize customer flow, and create non-box-office revenue, thereby enhancing risk resilience and profitability," reminded Peng Kan, Lecturer at the School of Art and Communication, Beijing Normal University.
He cautioned that innovation in cinema formats should not involve blind imitation but must be based on the functional positioning, customer demographics, and consumption structure of their respective commercial areas to determine what to "+".
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