The development of Shaw’s Cinema and film chain could be traced back to the story of its predecessor, Tianyi Film Company (Tianyi for short). In 1925, Tianyi was founded in Shanghai and set foot in the film business. In 1934, it set up a subsidiary studio in Hong Kong to develop the Cantonese film business. At the time, neither did Tianyi have its own cinemas, nor have a stable relationship with any designated film chains for screening the films it produced. In 1937, after Shaw Run-de took over the management of the business in Hong Kong, Shaw’s started to set up its own cinemas. At that time, only a few cinemas, such as Central Theatre and World Theatre, would screen the first-run Chinese Films, and World Theatre was controlled by Shaw Run-de. Apart from the Hong Kong film market, Shaw’s also actively expanded the Southeast Asian market.