Outdoor films appeared in the early 1950s, but were not the most popular of entertainments. However, during the "cultural revolution," when there were almost no other recreational activities, outdoor screenings drew regular evening crowds.

"Outdoor films were free of charge. In cities, shows were staged in playgrounds or dining halls, while in the countryside they took place on the threshing grounds. After supper, people brought their children and stools to stake out good places, and latecomers had to sit or stand on higher ground, with their children on their shoulders. In better-off places there were actual projection rooms, and in hard up villages the power supply was a person pedaling a bicycle to generate electricity," laughed Zhang Yiwu, a professor at Peking University. Watching outdoor films was both a cultural and social activity, essentially a gathering of neighbors. Like cinemas anywhere they also provided opportunities for young people to find lovers.

After the end of the "cultural revolution" in 1976, some films that had been banned were once again projected in public, inducing a new "fever" for outdoor movies. People had access to cinema in different styles and from different countries, including Hollywood movies.

Many who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s retain special feelings towards outdoor film shows. Mr. Yu, a media worker in his mid-40s, said, "I remember that before the main film was screened, a newsreel on a political event or a documentary on medical or agricultural sciences was shown. It was these minor reels that left a deep impression on me – they were my first scientific education!"

The 1980s: Televisions Become a Household Item

Following the launch of reform and opening up, nightlife became more diversified in the 1980s. Attending television university (higher education programs in which most teaching was done via TV) or night school became popular among young people who had been deprived of higher education during the "cultural revolution." Listening to radio was also a night "entertainment" for English lovers who were curious about the outside world. They tuned to the Voice of America under a quilt or in a dark corner, since listening to foreign broadcasts was deemed equivalent to treason.

Courting in a park was also the thing to do then. "In the evening all parks were filled with lovers, who had no other place to go. Now people have a wealth of choice, such as cafés, bars, discotheques and teahouses. But in those days there were no vacant seats in a park. It is said that on the Bund in Shanghai, each bench was occupied by two pairs of lovers, each engaged in their own embraces and kisses. So I appealed for places to be provided for young people to embrace and kiss," said Wang Meng, former Minister of Culture.

The arrival and spread of the television totally changed nightlife in the 1980s. In 1966, when the United States entered the "age of color TV," the Chinese mainland had only 12,000 television sets, all black-and-white. For a long time televisions were regarded as luxury items. Only workplaces and a few families had them. Even in the 1980s coupons were required for their purchase, so even having the money didn't guarantee ownership. One exception was those who went abroad. They were entitled to buy imported electric appliances, such as refrigerators, color television sets and washing machines, using "foreign exchange certificates."

"In the early 1980s, the primary school in our village bought the village's first black-and-white television set, causing quite a sensation. Every evening after supper, people gathered in the primary school to watch television. There were only one or two channels, but everyone was fascinated. People could even recite the words of television ads," said He Juncheng, who grew up in a village in Weihai, Shandong Province.

"Though the television signal was poor at that time, causing shadowing or a blurred image, viewers shared the work of getting the best picture. One went out to turn the pole that supported the antenna in order to find the best reception, another called out instructions, and a third fiddled with the dials on the set, until the best possible image came through," He Juncheng continued. In the 1990s cable television was installed in the village, providing perfect reception and many more channels. Almost every household now has its own TV, so there are few cases of families coming together for an evening of viewing.