The watch begins

Hong Kong actress Christy Chung and her daughter attend the promotional event for the movie at the Beijing Museum of Natural History. [Photo provided to China Daily]

A key feature of the latest movie is the fierce battle between Sir Lancelot and Xiang-liu, a mythical monster snake with nine heads, whose references can be found in the ancient Chinese text Shan Hai Jing (Classics of the Mountains and Seas).

Back at the Beijing event themed on the Ben Stiller-starring franchises, fans were seen strolling through the museum's African gallery, where "Maasai herders" showed off their hunting skills with traditional weapons, and "Charles Robert Darwinthe", a famed British scientist, spoke to his audiences about evolutionary trends at a nearby hall for animal specimen displays.

"It's a family movie that delights adults and kids. We have been trying to explore innovative ways to draw the attention of Chinese moviegoers. Thanks to the Beijing Museum of Natural History, fans can get an amazing night similar to the adventure in the movie," says Shen Hui, marketing director of 20th Century Fox (Beijing) Consulting.

She tells China Daily that the studio collaborated with the museum when they heard it had started a tour inspired by the franchise back in 2006.

The Night at the Museum trilogy includes Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian which was released in 2009.

Li Jianwen, deputy curator of the museum, says that the tour on Dec 30 was sold out within two hours of the counters' opening.

"A museum usually records the history of civilizations and the development of nature. We appreciate that the Night at the Museum movies provide an interesting and vivid way for audiences to know more about nature and history," Li adds.

A Beijing family, among the numerous that applied for a lucky draw related to the Dec 30 tour, are now waiting to know if they will win a "sleepover" tour at London's British Museum, where the third installment was filmed in parts, according to Shen.

With the most significant secret revealed at the museum's Egyptian Sculpture Gallery, the latest movie, directed by Shawn Levy, moved most of its locations from New York to London.

Hollywood's increasing interest in the fast-expanding Chinese market is only likely to go up in 2015, as a slew of big-budget sequels are lined up for screening, including Avatar 2, Jurassic Park 4 and Fast & Furious 7.