A woman buys ticket at a ticket office of a movie theatre in baotou, Inner Mongolia autonomous region. [Photo/Baotou Daily]

The cinema business in the city of Baotou, Inner Mongolia is entering a "golden age", riding the China's film industry boom, with more media companies getting involved and an increasing number of people going to the movies over the past few years.

China had 44-billion yuan ($6.7 billion) in box office sales, in 2015, or about 50 percent higher than in 2014, beyond most people's expectations, and Baotou was no exception.

"We used to have only a handful of customers every day before 2013 but today we're seeing about 500 people a day, and on holidays and vacations, the figure could even go to 2,000," Ma Nan, market director for one Baotou cinema says.

The Baotou Wanda Movie Theater box office takings went over 50 million in 2015, putting it among the Top 100 cinemas nationwide, out of more than 5,000 and this is a very promising record, Ma introduces.

This growth is fed by the increasing flow of new films, from China and overseas, and a better viewing experience thanks to new technology, for example Dolby sound, 3D capability and IMAX,

One enthusiastic movie-goer from Baotou, Huang Dinghu, explains that he seldom enjoyed going to see films in the past, but now is a real fan.

"The technology, from 3D to IMAX is bringing earth-shaking changes to the cinemas and shifting the focus from the content to the experience," Huang says by adding that this could help explain why people can't stay away from the cinemas in spite of increasing ticket prices. 

Rising interest in the silver screen in Baotou has encouraged many businesses to invest in cinemas, but, as one senior analyst cautions, "The demand for entertainment is being met with a cinema boom, but companies, especially those without any experience in running a cinema, need to be very cautious because cinemas are not a risk-free venture and rapid expansion could means greater risk."

Thus some cinemas are improving their facilities, making better use of their advantages, and adjusting their strategies to adapt to the competition.

Even though many cinemas are equipped with the latest technology, the rapid growth will likely mean fierce competition over the next three or five years.

"In addition to an excellent viewing experience, we provide the most delicious popcorn and most convenient parking conditions in the market", Ma says.