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.
According to South China Morning Post, Lumiai Cinema in Xi’an, Shaanxi province, has been offering a noon nap service for workers since April last year. The unusual initiative allows customers to use reclining seats during their lunch break, with monthly passes starting at 39.9 yuan.
Cinema turns empty halls into nap spaces
The service, promoted as the “Lying Flat Plan”, is available between noon and 2:30 pm on working days. 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. The cinema also provides blankets, coffee and other drinks at no extra cost. Customers who want earplugs or eye masks can purchase them for 5.9 yuan each.
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.
Most customers prefer the Leisure Screening Hall because it has more spacious seats. The second option, known as the Massage Seat Hall, has massage chairs that can also recline flat.
Cinema manager Xu told local media that the service was introduced partly because weekday daytime shows often have low occupancy. More than half of the available seats are now used for the nap service on most days.
Workers embrace the unusual lunch break
One regular customer, a 33 year old man surnamed Guo, told local media that he had been using the service for four months. 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.
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According to South China Morning Post, midday naps are already a common part of daily life in China. 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.