China has set a new daily box office record during the Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year, with earnings reaching an impressive 1.805 billion yuan ($249 million) on Wednesday. This milestone surpasses the previous records set during the 2021 Chinese New Year, both in revenue and in the number of moviegoers.
On that day, the number of moviegoers totaled 35.15 million, highlighting the strong enthusiasm for cinema during the festive period. The Spring Festival holiday, which runs from January 28 to February 4 this year—one day longer than previous years—is traditionally one of China's most lucrative periods for the film industry.
Leading the box office are six domestic films that debuted on Wednesday, spanning genres such as Chinese mythology, wuxia (martial arts and chivalry), comedy, fantasy, animation, and drama. This diverse lineup caters to the tastes of various audience groups, contributing to the robust box office performance.
Huajin Securities noted that most of these films are installments in highly rated, high-grossing franchises with strong reputations and large fan bases. This factor has significantly boosted ticket sales and audience turnout.
Since December last year, the China Film Administration (CFA) has encouraged relevant institutions to allocate approximately 600 million yuan in moviegoing consumption subsidies. Analysts say this move aims to unlock the full consumption potential of moviegoers and further stimulate the film market.
Kaiyuan Securities predicts that total box office takings will see a 6.7 percent year-on-year increase, reaching 8.54 billion yuan during the 2025 Spring Festival holiday. This positive outlook reflects confidence in the continued growth of China's film industry.
Reference(s):
China sees new daily box office revenue record during Spring Festival
cgtn.com
