Special-effect movie theaters gain popularity in China

China

Special-effect movie theaters gain popularity in China

2025-10-08 17:17 Last Updated At：23:37

Improved movie projection systems in Chinese cinemas are luring more moviegoers to experience the realistic special effects in films.

With the improved projection systems, the audience can enjoy wider screen, better visual and sound effects, as many cinemas have upgraded the theater equipment and serve special-effect screening halls.

"We have two special-effect screening halls here -- a CINITY hall and a 4DX hall. Regular halls only screen films at 24 frames per second, but the CINITY hall can show films at 48, 60 or 120 frames per second, providing a much smoother viewing experience. During the National Day holiday, we've scheduled 12 to 14 screenings at the special-effect screening halls each day. We would extend the showtime if the demand remains high," said Jia Xinjie, marketing manager of a cinema in Beijing.

IMAX theaters remain the preferred choice for many moviegoers. From January to September, more than 35 million movie viewings were made in IMAX theaters nationwide, a 60 percent increase year-on-year.

IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters originally known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (about 1.43:1) and steep stadium seating.

During the eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday ending on Wednesday, a bustling movie-going season for consumers, many people choose to see films in special-effect screening halls.

As of Tuesday, the total box office of films screened during the holiday, including presales, had exceeded 1.74 billion yuan (about 244 million U.S. dollars), according to data from online platforms.

"The sound effects and the overall experience are more impressive. After experiencing it once, we’d actively choose special-effect screening halls for future viewings," said Ms. Wang, a moviegoer.

"I watched Evil Unbound and will watch The Volunteers: Peace at Last. It would be better to choose the special-effect screening hall. The shots and sound effects will definitely make you feel more immersed in the film," said Mr. Ning, another moviegoer.

Trump says U.S. to impose tariffs on 8 European nations over Greenland

The United States will impose 10-percent tariffs on all goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Britain, the Netherlands and Finland over Greenland starting on Feb. 1, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday.

Those tariffs would increase to 25 percent on June 1, and would continue until a deal is reached for the United States to purchase Greenland, he said on social media.

Trump's statement came after several NATO members, including Britain, France and Germany, that oppose the U.S. attempt to acquire Greenland, sent troops and diplomatic assets this week to the Arctic territory.

Trump claimed that his country needs to take control of Greenland to protect U.S. national security.

"These Countries, who are playing this very dangerous game, have put a level of risk in play that is not tenable or sustainable," Trump wrote in a post. "Therefore, it is imperative that, in order to protect Global Peace and Security, strong measures be taken so that this potentially perilous situation end quickly, and without question."

He also said that the United States "is immediately open to negotiation with Denmark and/or any of these Countries that have put so much at risk, despite all that we have done for them, including maximum protection, over so many decades."

Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, with Copenhagen retaining control over defense and foreign policy. The United States maintains a military base on the island. Since returning to office in 2025, Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire to "obtain" Greenland and has recently intensified his rhetoric.