Thousands of movie fans in 70 cities across the country participated in the survey, which shows that most of them have no plans to go to the cinema at the moment. The survey listed several reasons behind their reluctance and the interviewees could choose more than one option.

So far, the cinemas haven't released any new films but replayed different old films including previous blockbusters "My People, My Country" and "Sheep Without A Shepherd".

To help cinemas do further business, China Film Group Corporation recently announced the first batch of films being replayed in cinemas across the country. It said that after negotiation with the production teams behind the movies, all the five films will be shown to the audiences for free or for a very low price.

"Cinemas face very big challenges in terms of returning to normal business and making profits. It'll take a long time but we have to take the first step with confidence," a cinema employee based in Sichuan said.