Shanghai, China: Outdoor Movies in Shanghai Parks

More than 60 parks across Shanghai show free outdoor films -- comedies, dramas, and recent releases -- every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through September under the Shanghai Greenery Administration Bureau program, now in its fourth year. Around 250 films screen over the season beginning at 7:30 p.m. At the cinema, a ticket costs at least 50 yuan (US$7.30); the bureau covers all expenses, spending around 1,000 yuan per screening -- half for the film rights, half for the location.

“It's the first time I watched an outdoor movie,” said Xiao Chen, 30, a local office worker. “I wanted to know what it's like to watch a film in an open space.” Ni Jia, 24, stopped with her boyfriend while walking after dinner. “It looked interesting, so we stopped by,” she said -- pleasantly surprised to find many recent releases rather than the old, boring films she had expected.

For older residents, the experience is a return to childhood. “We had outdoor films in the park when we were young,” said 72-year-old Zhang, who brought small wooden chairs and cattail-leaf fans to Huaihai Park -- a family ritual from 50 years ago, when admission was 3 fen (less than 1 US cent) and children climbed trees for a free view. “It was more like a family activity: we went to the park after dinner with all the family members.”

“Outdoor movies are intended for locals, including students on summer vacation and the elderly,” said a bureau official. “It's also good entertainment for those 'new Shanghainese' who move from other cities for work and don't have family or many friends here. They don't have many places to go and don't have a lot of money.”