Cathay the airline would cross the Pacific Ocean from China. Cathay Bank is a bank with multiple branches throughout the United States and overseas. Cathay Cineplex is a cinema operator in Singapore. Cathay Cathay () is an alternative historical name for China in English. During the early modern period Europeans thought of "Cathay" as a completely separate and distinct culture from China. As knowledge of East Asia increased, Cathay came to be seen as the same nation as China and the term '"Cathay" became a poetic name for the nation. The name "Cathay" originates from the word Khitan (), the name
Cathay Organisation of the 1980s, Cathay Organisation rationalised its cinema business, selling out their cinema operations in Malaysia. In Singapore, Cathay closed the only drive-in cinema in Jurong and chose to move with the trends and operated only cineplexes. It converted its stand-alone cinemas into multi-screenswhere. In 1990, Cathay opened The Picturehouse, Singapore's first arthouse cinema and the following year, Cathay Cinema was converted into a 3 screen cineplex. The 1990s saw Cathay Bowl opening bowling alleys in major parts of the island. Cathay Properties was incorporated, providing property management and maintenance services for facilities operated by Cathay itself, as well as