On an early spring afternoon in Beijing's 798 Art District, French tourist Olivier Dumont put on a virtual reality headset. Within seconds, he was "transported" aboard a spacecraft hurtling toward the far reaches of Mars.
The venue where Dumont, a 53-year-old TV producer, experienced his first VR film, is a gray and unassuming three-story structure. Called 798 Hyper Vision and spread over 3,500 square meters, the building is the country's first theater dedicated exclusively to VR film releases. Incidentally, China is the world's second-largest movie market behind North America — the United States and Canada combined.
"It was very well made. You feel that you're moving when obviously you're standing still," Dumont said, adding that unlike conventional film viewing, which he described as a "passive" experience, the VR film placed him "inside" the story itself.
Not far from the room screening the science fiction epic Space Odyssey, Li Shuai, a 32-year-old Beijing resident, embarked on a time travel-like journey with a friend — to China's Tang Dynasty (618-907). In a space designed to resemble an ancient inn, Li and other participants were first greeted by a staff member dressed in period costume. Once they settled in and put on their headsets, the bustling streets of Chang'an — the Tang Dynasty capital more than 1,000 years ago — suddenly came to life before their eyes. Their mission was to follow two detectives to unravel a mysterious case.
"I've been quite interested in history since my college days. The film's special effects and plot made me feel like I had 'dropped' into the ancient world," Li said, adding that details like a temple shown in the film felt especially vivid.
More than a year after the China Film Administration, the sector's top regulator, issued its first release license for a VR film, the industry has seen rapid growth. Theaters dedicated to the format have now opened in more cities, including Zhengzhou in Henan province and Guiyang in Guizhou province. VR films offer a new kind of immersive experience, giving the audience a 360-degree view through the head-mounted display, which is sometimes also equipped with handheld controls that enable the viewers to interact with the story's environment.
The upcoming 16th Beijing International Film Festival, one of the country's most prestigious movie events, recently announced that, for the first time, it will set up a competition section for VR films — a move that some insiders see as a sign of the format's growing recognition.
Qian Keda, the project manager of 798 Hyper Vision, said the venue — which features seven themed spaces currently screening 15 VR films — has received more than 80,000 visitors from home and abroad since opening in May last year. With relaxed visa policies bringing a surge of international travelers to China, the theater has seen a growing number of foreign moviegoers, Qian said.
Among the offerings, Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty: To the West — the film Li experienced — transports viewers to a golden age in ancient China. The Recluse Dongpo, a VR film retracing the journey of the exiled Song Dynasty (960-1279) literary master Su Dongpo, has drawn some foreign audiences with its cultural depth, Qian added.
"Most VR films have English subtitles, and a few offer English dubs, allowing foreign tourists to have a more immersive experience. The films typically last around 30 minutes — a comfortable duration for audiences to stand and move alongside the characters," he said.
Chinese mythology has also found new life in the digital realm. Nobody, a VR spinoff of the 2025 blockbuster of the same name — which was inspired by the 16th-century novel Journey to the West — has become one of the most popular choices among local visitors.
After taking off his headset following the film, a young boy murmured to his father, "I turned into the piggy monster and helped you fight a group of ferocious enemies." From his proud yet innocent face, you could understand how Peter Parker might have felt the first time he proved he was Spider-Man — not by taking off his mask, but through what he experienced while wearing it.
Nobody costs 128 yuan ($18.55), while tickets for the 14 other films are 99 yuan each.
