Online Festivals and Livestreamed Gym Classes Tackle Cabin Fever

As China grapples with the spread of the novel coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, transport restrictions and regular advice to stay home have led to some creative solutions from members of the public to pass the time. But entertainment companies and internet platforms are stepping in to try and help people beat the boredom too. Here are three key ways they've responded.

Home Box Office

The Spring Festival holiday was meant to be one of the biggest times of year for the Chinese box office. Coronavirus sabotaged it completely, with a host of big money blockbusters cancelling their scheduled releases for Lunar New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, then cinemas across the country announcing that they would be shuttered until further notice.

In response, the makers of blockbuster Lost in Russia struck a deal with ByteDance to release their film on a range of apps for free, including Douyin. The move provoked a wave of commentary — and not just because most critics agreed the movie was poor. Some in the industry claimed the deal was “‘trampling’ and ‘destroying’ China’s cinema industry,” as one Reuters report had it, while others questioned whether it was actually a hard-nosed business decision rather than the charitable gesture it was pitched as.

Nevertheless, days later leading streaming platforms iQIYI and Tencent announced that they would be making the Donnie Yen-led film Enter the Fat Dragon available on a paid basis online, two weeks before its originally-scheduled cinematic release. The film almost immediately leapt to the top of iQIYI’s most-watched movie chart. As the coronavirus uncertainty continues, and new TV shows and movies have suspended their filming schedules, more such deals may well follow.

Streamed “Music Festivals”

Another of China’s major streaming platforms, Bilibili, has also been trying to make the most of bored citizens being told to stay home. On Monday, the site was host to Music Vaccine, an electronic music livestream featuring 12 DJs from across the country.

Also this week, record label and music festival organizer Modern Sky kicked off their Strawberry Z (or “Stay at Home Strawberry”) Music Festival on the platform. Starting from 4pm every day until Saturday, Bilibili is hosting sets from 70 acts, including rappers Kafe.Hu and Tizzy T, rock acts Birdstriking and Re-TROS, and Big Band winners New Pants. 

Many of the sets were recorded at previous Modern Sky-organized festivals across the country (including several at Wuhan Strawberry Festival), but the idea is to use Bilibili’s bullet comment feature to create a sense of community even while many viewers will be in some form of isolation.

Online Exercise Classes

Being cooped up at home isn’t great for many people’s exercise regimes, but it doesn’t have to be disastrous either. A number of gyms and yoga studios in major cities have taken to livestreaming some of their classes, while Chinese Super League footballer Wang Song has used social media to post a series of exercises that people can do in their own apartments to stay in shape:

Brands too have sensed an opportunity in this space, with Under Armour among the first to offer simple exercises for people to follow in the confines of their own homes via their Weibo account.

However you're coping, we hope you're staying safe and healthy.

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