Grand View Tower Cinema

Grand View Tower Cinema

Grand View Tower Cinema. In 1905, the original “Dahengxuan Teahouse” was renamed “Grand View Tower Theater,” becoming one of the earliest fixed venues for film screenings in the southern part of Beijing. On January 22, 2005, the “Centennial Commemoration of the Birth of Chinese Cinema – Grand View Tower Cinema Seminar” was held. Leaders from the Central Propaganda Department, the Beijing Municipal Propaganda Department, the Municipal Bureau of Radio, Film and Television, the Municipal Bureau of Culture, and the Xuanwu District Government attended and spoke at the event. Senior leaders at the meeting congratulated Grand View Tower as the birthplace of Chinese cinema and proposed the establishment of the “First Hall of Chinese Cinema.” In April 2005, the “Expert Review Meeting on the Renovation Design of Grand View Tower as the Birthplace of Chinese Cinema” was convened, inviting ancient architecture experts, officials from the Planning Bureau, and film professionals to develop specific plans regarding the purpose, decoration, functionality, positioning, form, and scale of the renovation of Grand View Tower.

In 1905, Ren Jingfeng, the owner, also ran businesses such as the “Fengtai Photography Studio,” “Chinese and Western Pharmacy,” and “Furniture Shop.” That same year, Ren Jingfeng shot the opera film “Dingjun Mountain” starring Tan Yanpei, which premiered at the Grand View Tower Theater. “Dingjun Mountain” is the earliest Chinese-made and screened national film.

In 1907, it was renamed “Grand View Tower Theater,” and the first film shown was “The Leper Woman.”

In 1913, the “Grand View Tower Film Garden” on Dashilan Street outside Qianmen was renamed “Grand View Tower Cinema” after renovation and reopened officially. This marked the establishment of Beijing’s first “professional cinema” run and managed by Chinese people at that time.

In January 1927, the Grand View Tower on Dashilan Street outside Qianmen reopened.

On August 1, 1930, Grand View Tower was the first in the southern part of Beijing to implement mixed-gender seating, causing a sensation among cinemas at the time and demonstrating the operator’s relatively advanced business mindset.

In 1935, the equipment was upgraded, and a 35mm sound projector by French Pathé (Pathi) was installed.

On February 7, 1941, Grand View Tower reopened again after renovation and became a well-regarded medium-sized cinema in the southern part of Beijing.

In March 1945, the equipment was updated, using equipment by Roia.

On October 3, 1945, Grand View Tower and seven other cinemas simultaneously screened “World War II Newsreels,” followed by the release of some influential domestic films at the time. Performances of folk arts and stage plays were also added, featuring well-known figures such as You Guangzhao, Ma Sanli, Zhao Peiru, Chang Baokun, Liu Baoquan, Xi Cailian, and Xiao Mógu, who all performed on its stage.

In October 1945, Grand View Tower was among the first group of eight cinemas—including ZhenGuang, Reike, ChanGong, Asia Hall, XinXin, TongLe, and ZhongHe—to begin joint screenings.

In January 1955, as a pilot for the transformation of private capitalism, Grand View Tower took the lead in implementing a public-private partnership. After the partnership, the cinema operated under a planned economy, essentially screening whatever films the film company assigned, with all box office revenue turned over according to the revenue-sharing ratio.

On July 17, 1992, Grand View Tower was rated as a “First-Class Cinema” by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture.

On February 16, 1998, Grand View Tower became a “Group Member of the Beijing Film Distribution and Exhibition Association.”

In February 1998, Grand View Tower was rated as a “Civilized Unit of Xuanwu District for the Year 1997” by the Xuanwu District Spiritual Civilization Construction Committee.

In March 1999, Grand View Tower was awarded the “Best Event Award for the ‘Watch Patriotic Films, Be Good Youth of the New Era’ Grand View Tower Cup Essay Competition” by the Xuanwu District Spiritual Civilization Committee.

Source: Yichuan County Government Website