China's Spring Festival box office off to strong start

By Liu Yang, People’s Daily

China’s film industry set a new milestone during the 2025 Spring Festival holiday.

According to the China Film Administration, the country’s box office revenue during this period reached a staggering 9.51 billion yuan ($1.3 billion), with 187 million moviegoers packing theaters, up 18.64 percent and 14.68 percent from a year ago, respectively.

As of 9:00 a.m. on Feb. 5, the total box office revenue since the beginning of 2025 had amounted to 11.63 billion yuan, with 240 million moviegoers attending theaters.

Six Chinese films hit the big screen in the Spring Festival holiday this year, including “Ne Zha 2,” “Boonie Bears: Future Reborn,” “Detective Chinatown 1900,” “Operation Hadal,” “Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force,” and “Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants.”

“The effective and sufficient supply of high-quality films is key to the historic high box office,” said Rao Shuguang, president of the China Film Critics Association.

Rao said that the six films cover a wide range of genres, such as action, animation, wuxia (literally meaning “martial arts heroes”), comedy, suspense, and Chinese mythology. “All of them boast distinctive Chinese style and temperament, and can satisfy the diverse needs of the Chinese audience,” noted Rao.

“Besides eating dumplings, setting off firecrackers, and watching the Spring Festival gala, Chinese people can also immerse themselves in movies – a delightful experience featuring more cultural elements,” said Yin Hong, a professor at Tsinghua University.

In recent years, China’s film industry has seen rapid development, marked by accelerated cinema construction and a more complete cinema network in third- and fourth-tier cities. The number of cinema screens in China has exceeded 90,000. The improved cinema infrastructure has provided solid support for rising box office revenues.

At the same time, more high-definition (HD) films are emerging in the Chinese film market, as IMAX, CGS, CINITY, Dolby Cinema, and other theaters have enhanced their movie-watching experience by introducing advanced special effects. Many theaters in China have also improved their equipment and services, providing audiences with a technology-enabled cinematic experience.

Among the holiday film lineup, “Ne Zha 2” has emerged as the undisputed leader. As of Feb. 6, the animated blockbuster’s earnings had exceeded 5.77 billion yuan, making it the highest-grossing film of all time in China. This milestone comes on the heels of the series’ first installation, “Ne Zha,” which grossed over 5 billion yuan and topped the country’s box office charts in 2019.

Before its premiere, “Ne Zha ” went through 66 script revisions and featured over 1,400 special effects shots. The number of characters in “Ne Zha 2” is three times that of its predecessor, with nearly 2,000 special effects shots offering an even more immersive cinematic experience.

“When making animations, we prefer quality over quantity. We won’t settle for anything that doesn’t meet our standards. We believe our audience will appreciate the films that were made with genuine sincerity,” said the film’s director Yang Yu, also known as Jiaozi.

Patriotism, traditional Chinese culture, IP movies, and film industrialization are the key themes of this year’s Spring Festival movie season. The fantasy epic “Creation of the Gods” incorporates numerous elements of Chinese intangible cultural heritage, with many architectural designs inspired by China’s “chuandou” structure, a distinctive type of traditional Chinese architecture that allows for much more flexibility in roof and wall design.

“Chinese intangible cultural heritage has been passed down for centuries. We should better understand and incorporate these cultural elements into our film creation. As Chinese filmmakers, we are incredibly fortunate to have this cultural wealth at our disposal,” said Wu Ershan, director of the series.

“All six films in this year’s Spring Festival holiday are productions from popular IPs. The key to a successful film series lies in the creator’s ability to make constant innovation. Only through perpetual learning and adaptation can filmmakers grow alongside their audience,” said Chen Sicheng, director of “Detective Chinatown 1900.”

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the “Detective Chinatown” movie series. Since debuting in 2015, the series has released four films and two spin-offs, Chen said.

Film industrialization contains three key aspects: specific genres, standardized production management, and the application of new technologies. The six films in this year’s Spring Festival holiday embody all the three characteristics.

The success of these films has significantly boosted tourism, as the filming locations and story settings have turned into popular travel destinations. Many regions in China have seized the opportunity to enhance their tourism offerings, providing a wider range of options for audiences to explore filming sites, taste local delicacies, and immerse themselves in cinematic experiences – all contributing to a more vibrant cultural tourism market.

For example, “Detective Chinatown 1900” was filmed in the Laoling Film Studio in Dezhou, east China’s Shandong province. The set, which covers nearly 200,000 square meters, was constructed in seven months. Taking advantage of the film’s popularity, the studio opened a themed park during the Spring Festival holiday this year, attracting tens of thousands of visitors on the first day alone.

“It feels like stepping straight into the movie. I was completely immersed in the story,” one visitor remarked.

“Films have never been just about box office revenue; they also generate significant spillover effects. In recent years, various industries have shown a greater willingness to collaborate with filmmakers, which amplifies their impact and invigorates new consumption models and immersive entertainment experiences,” said Yin.