China's box office refreshes Spring Festival holiday record

BEIJING -- China's box office revenue for the 2025 Spring Festival holiday has reached 8.02 billion yuan (about $112 million) as of Monday, setting a new record for the same period in the country's film industry history, according to data from the China Film Administration.

Meanwhile, China's 2025 total box office, including real-time presales, has surpassed 10 billion yuan, ranking first globally.

The daily box office has exceeded 1 billion yuan for six consecutive days since Jan 29, when six films targeting the holiday season were released.

"The films span various genres, including martial arts, mythology, comedy, and action, catering to the preferences of audiences across different age groups," said Huangfu Yichuan, a research fellow at the China Film Art Research Center.

The number of moviegoers also hit a new record, laying a stronger foundation for both the audience base and market growth of China's film industry, said Rao Shuguang, president of the China Film Critics Association.

The films on the top of the box office chart were all domestic productions. Leading the pack was the animated fantasy "Ne Zha 2", the sequel to the 2019 hit "Ne Zha". "Ne Zha 2" has earned over 3.8 billion yuan since its screening.

Trailing behind was "Detective Chinatown 1900", a thriller comedy and part of the successful Detective Chinatown franchise, which has raked in nearly 2 billion yuan.

"Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force" came in third and has grossed over 900 million yuan.

"The historic high box office of the Spring Festival holiday reflects the high-quality development in domestic films and highlights the strong recognition of Chinese traditional culture among audiences," said Rao.

"It also indicates vibrant consumption during the holiday as well as the consumers' confidence in domestic productions," he added.