TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Cinemark has confirmed it will close its landmark theater in Taipei's Ximending shopping district after 25 years of operation.

In a Facebook post uploaded Saturday (Feb. 17), Cinemark said that due to "many environmental factors" its Ximen theater will close its doors on March 31. The movie theater chain thanked fans for their "support and companionship over the past 20 years."

However, the company also struck an optimistic note by adding "saying goodbye is only temporary" and "let us meet again with an even better appearance!" It said that in the meantime, member deposit and group movie ticket refund application hours are from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on weekends.

The firm later added the film industry overall has been affected by many factors over the past few years, which has led to changes in consumer viewing habits, and the film industry has "not yet seen the dawn of recovery," reported CNA. After careful evaluation, it said, "We regretfully announce the end of operations."

Cinemark's Ximen theater follows the closures of its branch in Taipei's defunct Core Pacific City shopping center in 2019 and the shuttering of its cinema in Kaohsiung's Dream Mall in 2020. This will soon leave Cinemark with no movie venues in Taiwan.

The news agency cited the firm as saying that Cinemark will return with a new business model called "Cinemark CMK Park," which will be in the new Core Pacific Plaza, a mixed-use complex at the old Core Pacific City site. According to previously released information, the new complex will combine commercial office buildings, gourmet restaurants, the Cinemark CMK Park theater, exhibition halls, and other functions, with an expected opening date of 2026.

Originally opened as Cinema 7 (絕色影城) in Ximending in 1999, it was acquired by Cinemark in 2014, reported SET News.