Private cinemas in China offer 'touching' packages, staff detained in Xi'an and Sanya

Private cinemas in multiple mainland Chinese cities have been found offering sexual services under the guise of movie viewing, with recent operations leading to arrests in Xi'an and Sanya.

In Xi'an, four operators of the "Dream Building Private Cinema" were criminally detained for organizing paid companionship services under "service packages," while three attendants received administrative penalties. The Shaanxi provincial capital's Yanta district police said the business caused negative social impact.

In Sanya, Hainan province, an operator surnamed Yang of the "Beibei Private Cinema" was criminally detained, and three female employees aged 19 to 25 were administratively punished for involvement in prostitution-related violations.

Undercover visits revealed services including "paid companionship" and explicit packages. At one Xi'an venue, a staff member presented a menu on a phone, indicating a 799-yuan (HK$872) package allowed touching over clothes, while a 1,499-yuan package included service from two women. Customers were told a minimum 299-yuan package with female companionship was required.

At some locations in Chengdu, overnight stays were offered without registration requirements. The exposure of these practices has drawn public attention and prompted law enforcement action.