TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Dynasty Theater, a long-standing second-run theater in Taipei, announced on Monday (Jan. 2) it is shutting its doors due to the impact of COVID-19.

The cinema said in a Facebook post that people have undergone days of darkness and changed habits as a result of the pandemic. Also, because of COVID, “we will become a thing of the past,” it said.

It thanked all those who have supported it through the 30-year journey and apologized for its failure to accompany people for another three decades.

Dynasty Theater halted operations in May 2020 for a three-month renovation. In December of that year, it said services would not resume “until things change for the better.”

The announcement was met with comments from people unwilling to part with the cinema and the fond memories it carried. Some reminisced the discount theater played a role in their school years and their vibrant younger days.

Located in Datong District, Dynasty Theater opened in 1991 as a first-run theater before transforming into a second-run theater. Movie tickets were priced between NT$65 (US$2.12) and NT$130, compared to NT$200 to NT$400 for a film at other Taipei cinemas.