What if your lunch break came with a dark cinema hall, a flat reclining seat and a chance to sleep? A cinema in China is offering exactly that, turning otherwise quiet afternoon screening halls into spaces where office workers can catch up on rest.
The cinema also provides blankets, coffee and other drinks at no extra cost. The unusual initiative allows customers to use reclining seats during their lunch break, with monthly passes starting at 39.9 yuan. Customers can choose between two designated halls, which together have 76 adjustable seats that can recline almost completely flat. A single membership costs 39.9 yuan, while a double pass is priced at 59.9 yuan. Customers who want earplugs or eye masks can purchase them for 5.9 yuan each. (Also Read: Woman ties rakhi to delivery man, touches his feet. He gifts her ₹ 50: ‘Ab behen bola hai na’ ) One regular customer, a 33 year old man surnamed Guo, told local media that he had been using the service for four months. A survey by the China Sleep Research Society found that more than 70 per cent of people surveyed enjoyed an afternoon nap lasting at least 30 minutes.
Lumiai Cinema in Xi’an, Shaanxi province, has been offering a noon nap service for workers since April last year, according to South China Morning Post . The service, promoted as the “Lying Flat Plan”, is available between noon and 2:30 pm on working days. He said he previously tried to sleep at his workstation but found it difficult to get proper rest. Now, he uses the cinema during his lunch break and finds the dark, clean environment much more comfortable. (Also Read: IndiGo flight attendant surprises father on his birthday, welcomes him aboard: ‘He had no idea I was on his flight’ ) According to South China Morning Post , midday naps are already a common part of daily life in China.
Because it has more spacious seats, most customers prefer the Leisure Screening Hall. Because weekday daytime shows often have low occupancy, cinema manager Xu told local media that the service was introduced partly. The cinema has asked visitors to keep their phones on silent and leave the napping area if they need to take a call. They are also expected to keep their shoes on while resting. The second option, known as the Massage Seat Hall, has massage chairs that can also recline flat. More than half of the available seats are now used for the nap service on most days.
