Chinese cinemas are boosting the holiday economy through various marketing and promotion campaigns during the Spring Festival movie season.
The nine-day holiday, the longest Spring Festival movie season in history, has delivered a vibrant screening feast of comedies, action films, animations, and sci-fi productions to audiences nationwide.
As of Saturday, the 2026 Spring Festival box office has exceeded 4 billion yuan (about 580 million in U.S. dollars).
The movie season's contribution to the holiday consumption goes beyond cinemas. In many cities, a ticket stub also means extra discounts for dining, shopping, and other leisure activities. Shopping malls have launched holiday promotions, offering moviegoers additional value for their spending.
In a countryside scenic area of east China's Zhejiang Province, tourists presenting movie ticket stubs can enjoy 50 percent off admission fees and cable car rides, while hotel guests could deduct the cost of two movie tickets from their accommodation bill.
"I love traveling and watching movies in my spare time, but I didn't expect this ticket stub could unlock so many benefits for transportation and hotels. I find it incredibly convenient," said Wu, a tourist.
Film locations have also emerged as unexpected travel magnets. Shenzhen's Gangxia North metro station, a core filming location for the crime thriller Silent Battle, draws crowds with its futuristic architectural design. Action-adventure Blades of the Guardians, set in Xinjiang's vast deserts, sparks many moviegoers' interests to see the sceneries with their own eyes.
"I know this film was shot on location in Xinjiang, and I could truly feel the magnificent beauty of our country's landscapes—so awe-inspiring and spectacular. I hope to have the opportunity to visit Xinjiang this year," said Liang Chibiao, a moviegoer in Macao.
Spring Festival movie season fuels holiday consumption in China
Chinese box-office hit "Dear You" premiered in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday ahead of its nationwide theatrical release, warming the hearts of numerous local viewers.
The premiere was jointly organized by Vietnamese distributors Mockingbird Pictures and Galaxy Studio, with the support of the China Cultural Center in Hanoi.
Nearly 1,000 guests, including representatives of Vietnam's film industry, cultural scholars, members of the overseas Chinese community, representatives of Chinese enterprises in Vietnam and media organizations, attended the event.
Shot entirely in the Chaoshan (Teochew) dialect, the low-budget film became a massive box-office phenomenon in China this summer, with its global box office revenues surpassing 2.1 billion yuan (about 310 million U.S. dollars) since its April 30 release.
Known in Chinese as "Love Letters to Grandma," the movie centers on remittance letters used by overseas Chinese to stay connected with their families back home from the 1940s to 1970s. Through these letters, the characters uncover memories, love and interconnected family bonds in a simple yet deeply genuine narrative.
Even before its premiere, "Dear You" had generated significant buzz across Vietnamese social media platforms.
Doan Thi Trang Anh, deputy CEO of Mockingbird Pictures, said securing the distribution rights for "Dear You" in Vietnam was a special opportunity for the company, hoping that it could bring more Chinese films to Vietnamese audiences in the future.
"We consider it a remarkable piece of work full of new and creative touches. We can see that it is more than just a movie -- it carries deep cultural and historical significance for China, while also offering a moving portrayal of the true emotional connection between a husband and wife," Doan Thi Trang Anh told China Media Group (CMG).
After the premiere, the audience responded with great enthusiasm and offered glowing reviews.
"I feel that this movie speaks to the hearts and minds of Vietnamese audiences as well," said Nguyen Tuan, an audience member.
"There are many scenes in the film that remind me of my own grandparents. it really struck a chord with me," said Thu Thuy, a Vietnamese singer who also attended the premiere.
The film is set to hit cinemas nationwide in Vietnam beginning Wednesday. It will be available in three language versions: Mandarin Chinese, Chaochan dialect, and Vietnamese to cater to different viewing preferences.
The movie has also hit the screens in several other Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand and Indonesia.
Chinese film 'Dear You' resonates with Vietnamese audience at premiere
