China's booming film industry has transferred moviegoers' enthusiasm into shopping and traveling consumption to popular film locations during the Spring Festival holiday, which officially started on February 15 and runs through February 23 this year.
China's 2026 Spring Festival box office has surpassed 4 billion yuan (about 579 million U.S. dollars), according to industry data.
The holiday movie season is one of the most significant periods for the world's second-largest film market.
Currently leading the box office rankings are the sequel Pegasus 3, the contemporary espionage thriller Scare Out, and the latest installment of the popular animated franchise, Boonie Bears.
The business operators across China are taking advantage of the trend by offering discounts to attract moviegoers.
One such deal is on offer in Changsha, the provincial capital of Hunan in central China, where a movie ticket can unlock discounts at nearby restaurants, cafés, and retail stores.
"Initially we just wanted to watch a movie and go home, but when we got our tickets, the cinema staff told us we could get discounts at nearby shops. So, we went shopping around the cinema and bought some food and drinks, like coffee. Shops here offer 30-percent discounts, which are quite cost-effective," said Xiao Qian, a moviegoer.
Restaurants at the shopping mall said they are also cooperating with cinemas to attract more customers.
"We have worked with the cinema to offer discounts to moviegoers and with the movie tickets, moviegoers can enjoy a 10-percent discount in our restaurant. Today alone, we have received a dozen groups of moviegoers. I estimated that during the Spring Festival holiday, our business turnover could increase by about 50 percent," said Zhang Li, a restaurant owner.
In Qingdao, a major coastal city in east China's Shandong Province, fans of the iconic Pegasus 3 said they are looking forward to embarking on a film location tour to see the scenes in the film.
"I heard that Pegasus 3 was filmed in Qingdao, so I came here to see what those scenes in the movie look like. The racing sequences are very thrilling, immersive, and shocking," said Yang Aijie, a moviegoer.
Booming show business spurs festival consumption
