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
Affected by Japan’s prolonged economic downturn, the real effective exchange rate index — which reflects the yen’s overall strength — hit a 53-year low recently, with the yen’s purchasing power continuing to decline.
Data released by the Bank for International Settlements on Friday shows that in January this year, the yen’s real effective exchange rate index fell to 67.73, the lowest level since Japan adopted a floating exchange rate system in 1973.
The real effective exchange rate index is a key indicator measuring a currency’s overall real purchasing power and international competitiveness.
Analysts said that the yen’s persistent weakening reflects Japan’s long-standing structural economic challenges.
Insufficient growth momentum and persistently low interest rates continue to exert downward pressure on the yen’s real effective exchange rate.
Yen’s purchasing power hits record low
