Big screen, bigger audiences

The weeklong Spring Festival ended on a high note, with both box-office revenues and the number of moviegoers setting national records.

According to the China Film Administration, the sector's top regulator, the six main film releases collectively generated 9.51 billion yuan ($1.3 billion), attracting 187 million viewers, surpassing the previous records set last year.

Leading the pack was Ne Zha 2, the animated sequel to Ne Zha, which has earned an impressive 4.84 billion yuan, far outpacing its competitors. In second place was the historical crime comedy Detective Chinatown 1900, which earned 2.28 billion yuan, according to industry tracker Maoyan Pro.

The mythological epic Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force secured the third spot with 998 million yuan, followed by the martial arts film Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants in fourth place with 592 million yuan. Boonie Bears: Future Reborn rounded out the top five with 509 million yuan. Meanwhile, the deep-sea submarine-themed film Operation Hadal earned 274 million yuan to claim the sixth position, according to showbiz information tracker Beacon.

Lai Li, an analyst at Maoyan Pro, said that the Spring Festival performance was exceptionally good, indicating a strong start and demonstrating the resilience and potential for growth in the Chinese film market.