Prices have been reduced for movie tickets in several big cities in China, but that won't affect Shanghai, officials with the Yongle Film Producing Co. Ltd. said Wednesday.
The price-cutting blitz started in Chengdu, the capital of central China's Sichuan Province, where tickets were reduced from 30 yuan to five yuan.
However, Wu Hehu, vice general manager of Yongle, confirmed that ticket prices in Shanghai would remain stable because of the classification system established for all cinemas.
Like hotels, movie theaters in Shanghai are assigned a number of stars ranging from one to five, according to their facilities and services. Prices are based on the number of stars. Shanghai theaters are required to abide by the price regulations tied to the number of stars.
Ticket sellers are not allowed to independently reduce prices, Wu said. However, people may choose a cinema appropriately priced for their income levels under this hierarchy, Wu added.
For example, to save money students may go to a cinema with fewer stars and elderly people may go to matinees.
(Eastday 12/07/2000)
