WeChat

Ticketing on WeChat used to be done through WePiao, but they've switched the platform to Gewara which is also available as a separate app if you search "猫眼" in your app or Play Store. Accessing it on WeChat is very simple. Just head to WeChat Pay, then scroll down to Movie Tickets. Hit that and it will take you to the Gewara home page.

Picking your film is when a little Chinese comes in handy, though you can sometimes tell what the movie is from observing the picture. Let's assume that you want to see Shanghai Fortress (上海堡垒 in Chinese) as soon as it comes out. Tapping its icon will bring up a list of theaters that will be showing it. To double-check you are choosing the right place, look up the address of the theater you want beforehand to match it with the right one on the list.

For example, if you want to see it at the Premiere Cinema in the Kerry Centre, tap the second option on this list then select the time you would like to see it on August 9 which is the date of the first viewing. The next stage is picking your seat, after which the app will ask for your phone number to confirm a few details with your WeChat.

Most of the options on the payment page will be irrelevant to you if you don't already know what they are, so unless you want to buy popcorn in advance, hit "确认支付" which will take you to WeChat payment.

Alipay

Alipay's ticketing is done through Taopiaopiao (淘票票), the ticketing arm of Taobao, which is all owned by Alibaba. Your home page should have a little red icon that says Movies underneath it. Tapping this will take you to the Taopiaopiao home page which has a drag menu of all the films currently available to see.

Scroll across until you reach the film you want, then tap its icon to proceed to a synopsis page complete with a trailer too – a feature WeChat doesn't have. 1-0 Alipay. Watch the trailer if you want, then tap "特惠抢票" to get your tickets. This is where you select your theatre and time.

The seat prices will vary depending on your choice, but there is little disparity between the prices on each platform. Both use about the same amount of Chinese too, so essentially it's down to personal preference on which one you choose. Hit "立即付款" to pay with Alipay.

How to Retrieve Tickets at the Theatre

Every movie theater listed in these apps has touchscreen kiosks, usually a few, where you can pick up the tickets. The kiosks sometimes run different software and have different layouts, but the process is basically the same. Enter your ticket number, hit confirm, and the machine will print out your tickets. Some theaters may send out two numbers instead of one that need to be combined when entering them into the kiosk, or you'll get a QR code that needs to be scanned. It's pretty easy either way, and someone will always be standing by to help if needed.

There you have it. Now you can kick back safe in the knowledge that you'll soon be watching the Pearl Tower get blown to bits by aliens in 3D.