Many cinemas in China are transforming into comprehensive recreational venues by integrating cultural, dining, and fitness experiences to improve services for moviegoers.
Exploring the "film-plus" model that merges the film industry with the tourism, retail, and culinary sectors, a cinema in Mianyang City, southwest China's Sichuan Province has redeveloped its formerly idle spaces into art exhibitions, dining rooms, fitness facilities, and traditional culture experiencing areas.
"Instead of rushing off after a movie, we can make intangible cultural heritage handicrafts near the auditorium, go for a workout or swim, or read in the book lounge. The place offers rich options," said Zhang Yuncong, a visitor and moviegoer.
The trend reflects a major transition in China's film industry from a "box office-only" model toward a full-chain development model, extending the influence of films into more fields to fuel the growth of other industries and even the economy of a city.
"Going forward, we will continue promoting initiatives such as 'taste cuisine with films,' 'experience intangible cultural heritages with films,' and 'learning science with films' to provide moviegoers with more novel audio and visual experiences," said Wang Zheng, president of the Mianyang Film Association and owner of the cinema.
"The spending power of cinema goers is growing, which is why many film-related products are emerging, such as food featured in movies, tourist attractions and filming locations. This also helps boost cultural tourism," said Zhi Feina, a professor at Chinese National Academy of Arts.
Chinese cinemas integrate dining, fitness in bid to broaden movie-going experience
With the upgrading of tourism products and services, an increasing number of international visitors are opting for in-depth tours in smaller cities to explore and immerse themselves in Chinese culture.
The trend was vividly demonstrated by data from online travel platforms during the 2026 May Day holiday, which ran from May 1 to 5. As of Monday, the number of passengers entering and exiting Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, through Xi'an Port exceeded 700,000 this year, and the number of foreign passengers exceeded 100,000, representing a year-on-year increase of 18.9 percent. The proportion of passengers entering China under unilateral or mutual visa-free policies has increased to 78.9 percent.
At Tangyue Gong, a restaurant and theater featuring elements of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), an immersive Tang-style music and dance performance "Empress of Tang Dynasty" is being staged. The blending of classical music and dance, traditional instruments and court banquets create a panoramic experience for foreign tourists featuring culture of the Tang Dynasty.
"I enjoy the history of China. I am very interested in the country to learn more about your beautiful land, actually, and your history," said a tourist from Australia.
"I've never personally been to China before, never been to Asia, and I was just really excited to try something different, to experience a different culture. [It is] Absolutely fabulous. As soon as I walked in, it was just incredible. I gasped. I was videoing and recording everything. The dresses, the outfits were so beautiful. The food, there were so many different dishes that I've never tried before," said another tourist from the UK.
Zhouzhuang Water Town of east China's Jiangsu Province recently welcomed a large inbound tour group of over 1,800 people from Russia, Türkiye and several Central Asian countries. Tourists strolled through classic spots, appreciating the charm and cultural heritage of this ancient town amidst its bridges and flowing water.
Leveraging overseas cooperation channels, Zhouzhuang has launched exclusive tourism products for international tourists and improved services such as bilingual tours, foreign card payments and tax refunds, thereby promoting steady growth in the number of inbound tourists.
"We provide inbound tourists with a full-scene experience combining ancient architecture, intangible cultural heritage, folk customs and culture, and build a thoughtful full-chain service ranging from overseas market promotion to the visit and immersive experience in Zhouzhuang," said Lu Guilin, head of the marketing department of Zhouzhuang Cultural Tourism Development Group.
Growing number of int'l tourists seek cultural immersion in smaller Chinese cities
