The Mirra Party multipurpose hall of Jackie Chan Cinema (Wukesong Branch)

A shadow puppetry experience activity at the Capital Cinema (BMC Branch)

The exhibition held at the Capital Cinema (BMC Branch)

Recently, 12 new cinema spaces were officially launched in Beijing. Moving away from traditional cinema experiences, these venues integrate immersive tech experiences with local cultural displays, diverse performances, family-friendly interactive areas and more, creating new experiences (known as "Cinema+") for cinema-goers.

As one of China's top-performing standalone cinemas in terms of box office revenue, the Capital Cinema (Xidan Branch) has been actively exploring the "Cinema+" model. With live broadcasts in screening halls, small-scale performances, bar and tea lounge services, displays and sales of cultural souvenirs, there's so much to explore. There are usually lots of crowds here in this nationally renowned and historic cinema, which has been made even more amazing with a wide array of cultural services.

Located at Jackie Chan Cinema (Wukesong Branch), the Mirra Party multipurpose hall is China's first giant-screen immersive space functioning as both a screening hall and a gaming venue. Covering an area of 330 square meters across two levels, the venue serves the purposes of film screenings, gaming, live performances, and dining. It features triple-sided LED interactive screens that incorporate VR, motion capture, and AI-generated imagery, among other technological means, allowing players' movements of running or jumping to be projected onto screens in real time. During the day, the venue serves as an immersive gaming arena and a space for team-building and social gatherings. Then, for the evening, it transforms back into a cinema, where audiences can not only watch films but also order and enjoy meals.

Put on a headset, then transport yourself into the adventurous, ink-wash-style world of Langlang Mountain (from the film "Nobody"), where both your companions and you become real characters in the film's story. Sounds impossible? This is happening in Beijing's 798 Art District. 798 Hyper Vision is the first VR cinema in China. Spanning an area of 3,500 square meters, it has six screening halls, including a walking-through screening hall, a seated screening hall, and a screening hall themed after the film "Strange Tales of Tang DynastyⅡ— To The West". Currently, the cinema's film list has been updated to 15 titles, which encompass multiple VR films that have received the official permits for screening, such as "Journey to the Center of the Earth" (地心游记), "Nobody: Magical Adventure" (浪浪山小妖怪：幻境奇旅), "Mulan 2125" (木兰2125), and "Mars Landing Project: Origins" (火星登陆计划·起源).

List of the first batch of new cinema spaces in Beijing

(Source: Beijing Daily)