电影院是为观众放映电影的场所。电影在产生初期，是在咖啡厅、茶馆等场所放映的。随着电影的进步与发展，出现了专门为放映电影而建造的电影院。

In recent years, cinemas in major Chinese cities have been investing in state of the art technology, upgrading to 3D and Imax screens.

One of China's mega cinema chains, Wanda Cinema Line Corporation, which has over 50 regular cinemas across the country, already boasts 5 Imax equipped cinemas. In 2012 this number is expected to grow to 14.

The country now has more than 5,000 screens including 3000 digital and nearly 800 3D screens, serving 1.3 billion people, according to Li Chow, Vice President of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

"We are very happy that China is building more cinemas and more screens. Now it's like everyday you almost have 2 (new) cinemas per day, so they are building a lot and that is excellent and I think that China is still 'underscreened', very much 'underscreened'," says Li.

With China's rapid growth, people here are more willing to spend on entertainment, fuelling demand for movie tickets.

Box office sales have increased by over 5 times in 5 years according to government box office sales figures.

Deng Tao, a Beijing Property Agent who took his children to watch Shrek 4 in 3D, said,

"The overall cinema experience is good, you can relax and enjoy here. I think the experience of watching movies here is much better than if you watch a DVD at home."

To attract even more movie goers, cinemas have been adding to their list of services, creating special VIP discounts and offering an extended range of facilities including child care centres and indoor playgrounds for children.

But outside of the major cities, vast swaths of the country's rural population still have very little or no access to cinemas.

Part of the government's drive is to also extend the movie going experience to townships and rural areas.

Zhao Shi, Deputy Director of China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, says

"Building cinemas in small cities and towns will make it possible for people in rural areas to watch good and up-to-date movies in a convenient and accessible way. We are also providing free and subsidised movie tickets to the public."

Every weekend, government workers erect a makeshift cinema in a public park in Miyun county in the outskirts of Beijing.

Hundreds of residents, migrant workers and farmers gather from surrounding areas to watch a movie which is projected onto a piece of white cloth.

For many of these movie goers regular cinemas tickets are too expensive. Jing Hui, a local resident says,

"They should build more affordable cinemas, now the cinema tickets are too expensive. Most people’s income is just not enough to afford the tickets, they are 70 to 80 yuan (10 US dollars), and they are too expensive. These outdoor cinemas are good, but the movies being shown are too old."

The government is also planning to increase funding and loans for Chinese movie and TV dramas as well as increase co-productions with foreign companies.

The number of Chinese movies produced on the Mainland has nearly doubled since 5 years ago, but the lack of capital is the biggest challenge for the booming Chinese entertainment industry.

"Most of the Chinese films still don't cross over, which I think the next step is if anybody wants to make a Chinese film I think they should also start of think of the foreign market," says Li.

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