Beijing launches $1.38M summer film promotion to boost spending

Beijing launched a 10 million yuan ($1.38 million) summer film subsidy program Wednesday, designed to boost movie attendance and drive citywide consumer spending.

The Publicity Department of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China is guiding the program, with the Beijing Municipal Film Administration, Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau and Beijing branch of China Media Group organizing it.

This year's program connects movie ticket purchases with discounts on shopping and dining. Through partnerships with online platforms Maoyan and Meituan, movie ticket discounts are being combined with shopping mall and dining benefits. Meituan is offering about 250,000 discount packages worth 66 yuan each, totaling around 15 million yuan.

Among the films hitting screens this summer, Beijing-produced titles like "Dong Ji Island," "The Legend of Hei 2" and " The Shadow's Edge" are generating significant audience and industry anticipation.

To further promote the integration of culture, business, tourism and sports and stimulate overall urban consumption, various districts, commercial hubs and cinemas are introducing diverse promotional measures.

Haidian will form a "Movie Consumption Alliance" to combine cinema visits with other activities. The district plans to offer movie packages that include parent-child activities and sports events, while hosting outdoor movie screenings and themed markets to encourage nighttime spending.

Tongzhou will expand movie-related spending by setting up more than 400 screening locations throughout the district. The locations will show 14,000 free public films throughout the year as part of the consumption drive.

The movie subsidies align with a broader push to spur consumer spending. The Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau is implementing three major measures: partnering with hundreds of merchants for festival promotions, extending subsidies for home appliance and car trade-ins, and launching a "Tax Refund Map" to streamline departure tax refunds.