Located in Dashilan, the historic area of Beijing's Qianmen business district, the Daguanlou Cinema is one of the earliest cinemas in China and is regarded as the birthplace of Chinese film.
A photo taken on March 21, 2025 shows the Daguanlou Cinema in Dashilan, the historic area of Beijing's Qianmen business district. /CGTN
In the autumn of 1905, Ren Qingtai, the owner of Fengtai Photo Studio, invited Peking Opera master Tan Xinpei to star in an opera movie named "Dingjun Mountain." Classic scenes such as "Requesting Orders," "Swordplay," and "Battle" were filmed as silent movie segments, and publicly premiered at the then-named Daguanlou Theater on December 28, 1905, marking the beginning of Chinese cinema's century-long journey.
A photo taken on March 16, 2025 shows a still from the film "Dingjun Mountain" on display at China National Film Museum in Beijing. /CGTN
Today, the Daguanlou Theater has been rebranded as the Daguanlou Cinema. Its ground floor now houses a living museum, where stills from "Dingjun Mountain," vintage posters, and antique film projectors are on display, as if narrating the century-old story of Chinese cinema to us.
A photo taken on March 21, 2025 shows the interior design of the Daguanlou Cinema that retains its nostalgic style. /CGTN
While steeped in profound historical significance, the Daguanlou Cinema has also carved out an innovative path. Beyond developing film-related merchandise, it has forged strong ties with the Dashilan area, emerging as a dynamic model for the integration of culture and tourism. Most of its patrons are now domestic and overseas tourists, who come for its distinctive blend of movie screenings, shopping, and tea appreciation.
