Changchun Film Festival: Centuries-old teahouse meets cinema

In Changchun, Jilin Province – the historic birthplace of modern Chinese cinema – the city is transforming its traditional streets into an open-air silver screen.

Ahead of the 21st Changchun Film Festival, set to run from August 23 to 28, celebrations are spilling out of cinema halls and into historic sites across the city, including the Shangbudi Historic & Cultural Block and Xinmin Avenue.

Nestled within the Shangbudi Historic and Cultural Block sits Sihai Teahouse, a century-old landmark where merchants and travelers once gathered over steaming bowls of local tea.

Today, the venue is stepping back into the spotlight as a lively community space, merging neighborhood heritage with cinematic storytelling.

To honor its legacy as China's original filmmaking cradle, the festival offers barrier-free access through open-air screenings in public spaces.

Inside Sihai Teahouse, the ritual of traditional bowl tea now accompanies night-sky projections – reimagining how a city connects with its movie-making roots, one cup and one frame at a time.