Movie-inspired consumption gains popularity during Spring Festival holiday

As China's film industry celebrates record-breaking box office earnings, the consumption boom has extended beyond cinemas during the Spring Festival holiday, with innovative trends that combine movie-going with dining and travel experiences further driving spending.

This year's Spring Festival movie lineup brought in huge box office returns, triggering a series of collaborative initiatives across China aimed at boosting consumption.

Organized by the China Film Administration and the Ministry of Commerce, the "Follow the Movie to Taste Delicacies" event became one of the highlights, drawing numerous cinemas and restaurants into offering special promotions. Under the scheme, moviegoers could use their ticket stubs to enjoy free dishes at restaurants located in the same malls housing the theaters.

In Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, the fusion of film and food led to a surge in consumer activity.

"After signing up for the 'Follow the Movie to Taste Delicacies' event, I just need to spend a certain amount at nearby stores to get a movie discount voucher," said local resident Chen Nan.

In addition to food, many films have teamed up with tourist attractions to entice consumers. Moviegoers can enjoy discounts at theme parks and other popular spots by presenting their ticket stubs or purchase records. This collaboration has helped drive significant increases in visitor numbers to film-themed travel destinations.

In Dezhou City of east China's Shandong Province, the Leling Film City has experienced a large influx of tourists, with daily visitor numbers surpassing 20,000 since the start of the holiday in late January.

"The setup and architecture here are carefully designed. We can play detective games and complete tasks in it, offering a truly immersive experience," said visitor Shen Jiahui.

Data from China Mobile's Wutong big data platform also points to the increasing popularity of film-related tourism during the holiday. Filming locations tied to newly released movies such as epic fantasy "Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force" in Anyang, Henan, martial arts film "Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants," in Xilin Gol, Inner Mongolia, and action thriller "Operation Hadal" in Qingdao, Shandong, have all seen a significant rise in visitor numbers. The daily number of tourists to these areas has increased by an average of 27.6 percent compared to usual periods, and by 5.8 percent over the same period of last year, showing the growing appeal of cultural tourism.

China's film industry achieved a new milestone during the 2025 Spring Festival holiday. From January 28 to February 4, the box office hit a staggering 9.51 billion yuan (1.33 billion U.S. dollars), according to the China Film Administration. The number of moviegoers also soared to a record high of 187 million people.

Movie-inspired consumption gains popularity during Spring Festival holiday

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday that both the United States and Iran have the willingness to resume negotiations, and the international community should encourage both sides to return to the negotiating table and seek effective ways for a political settlement.

China and Canada can jointly play a constructive role in this regard, said Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, in a phone conversation with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand at the latter's request.

Anand briefed Wang on Canada's position regarding the situation in the Middle East, noting that Canada is committed to protecting civilians in the conflict, promoting de-escalation of the situation, preventing the spillover of the conflict, and reducing its impact on the global economy as well as industrial and supply chains.

The Iranian nuclear issue bears on the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, and ensuring the safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz is in the common interests of all parties, Anand said.

Canada stands ready to work with China to push for a ceasefire and promote regional peace and stability, she added.

Wang elaborated on China's principled position, saying that the Iranian nuclear issue should be resolved through dialogue and should not be a reason for the use of force.

The abuse of force will only lead to grave repercussions, and the spillover of the war will threaten regional security and stability, he said.

The two sides also exchanged views on China-Canada relations and agreed that they should implement the outcomes of Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit to China with a positive and pragmatic attitude, resume dialogues at various levels, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and push for the stable and healthy development of the China-Canada new strategic partnership.

U.S., Iran should be encouraged to return to negotiating table for political settlement: Chinese FM