Social media, movie theatres abuzz as Olympic fever hits Chinese fans

BEIJING: Cinemas in China have been more packed than usual in the past two weeks – but not from summer blockbusters or classic box-office favourites.

Instead, sports fans are bringing their popcorn into movie theatres to catch the Olympic action on the big screens – broadcast live from Paris.

At one such watch party in Beijing's Chaoyang district, the audience in the 150-seat theatre reacted with enthusiasm, tension, and emotion as they watched medal matches for the men’s badminton singles.

Even though none of China’s players were in contention, the screening still drew a sizable crowd because of the popularity of the sport.

Some spectators waved Chinese flags that were given at the reception, as they whooped and cheered whenever an athlete made an impressive play.

“There's a better atmosphere at the cinema. Watching the Games with friends outside is better compared with watching alone at home,” said a member of the audience.

Scenes like these have flooded Chinese social media. Some videos have garnered tens of thousands of views, inspiring even more enthusiasts to make their way to theatres. 

"I saw from Weibo about an event to watch the Games together in the cinema with friends. Watching with everyone improves the ambience,” said another fan.

Meanwhile, Olympic fever has also swept across social media.

The hashtag “Team up in the cinemas to cheer for Quan Hongchan and Chen Yuxi”, which calls for supporters to support the Chinese divers in theatres, has more than 4 million hits.

Quan won gold in the women’s 10m platform dive while Chen took silver, and the pair brought home the gold together in the synchronised 10m event.

Athletes have also topped the online trending charts, such as swimmer Pan Zhanle for breaking a world record