China's Spring Festival box office exceeds 2.8 bln yuan

Chinese mainland's Spring Festival box office revenue, including pre-sales, has exceeded 2.8 billion yuan (about 377 million U.S. dollars) as of 12:08 Thursday, according to box office tracker Dengta Data.

The China Film Administration reports that Wednesday, the first day of the Chinese New Year, generated a record-breaking 1.805 billion yuan in box office revenue, with over 35 million people flocking to cinemas.

These figures exceed the previous single-day records for both revenue and attendance, set on the first day of the Chinese New Year in 2021.

Six domestic films hit cinemas on Wednesday, with a diverse genres catering to a wide spectrum of audiences.

The lineup includes the mythological epic "Creation of the Gods II: Demonic Confrontation," the sequel to the highest-grossing animated film in Chinese history "Nezha: Demon Child Conquers the Sea," martial art film "The Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Great Hero," action comedy "Detective Chinatown 1900," military-themed film "Operation Hadal" and animated feature "Boonie Bears: Future Reborn."

The first four of these films each exceeded 200 million yuan in pre-sale ticket sales, making it the most successful pre-sale period in history.

"This year's Chinese New Year movie is the strongest yet. Even morning screenings are drawing large crowds, with attendance at 60 to 70 percent capacity. Some smaller theaters are completely sold out. Family comedies and detective thrillers are proving especially popular," said Shen Yan, a cinema manager in Guangzhou City.

Among the highly anticipated releases is Nezha, a sequel to the animated film inspired by Chinese mythology.

"Watching a movie is a great way to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Nowadays Chinese animations have more beautiful special effects," said a moviegoer. "When I entered the cinema, I found that their equipment is very new, with super comfortable seats," said another moviegoer.

This year's holiday lineup features a record number of visual effects blockbusters. Some productions incorporated AI-generated content (AIGC) for ultra-realistic visuals.

Cinemas have also upgraded their facilities to enhance viewing experiences.

"All six films for Spring Festival are available in CINITY format (which runs at 60 frames per second - compared to the traditional 24) in our cinema. The high framerate and dynamic images are quite popular among the audience," Shen said.

The cinemas in Shanghai are also packed on Wednesday as the new films drew a large crowds of moviegoers, many of whom attended as families.

"Based on the current growth rate, we expect Spring Festival box office to reach new heights, setting a positive tone for the 2025 film market," said Wu Ting, a cinema manager in Shanghai.

China's Spring Festival box office exceeds 2.8 bln yuan

China's Spring Festival box office exceeds 2.8 bln yuan

Hong Kong's first astronaut lifted off into space on Sunday, sparking a wave of enthusiasm for space exploration in the special administrative region, while inspiring a new generation to look to the stars.

The Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 23:08 (Beijing Time) on Sunday. The crew members include Lai Ka-ying, the first astronaut and payload specialist from Hong Kong to join a national space mission, whose achievements have motivated many Hong Kong residents.

"I feel so happy and thrilled. This is the first time a Hong Kong astronaut has gone to space, and to see a true Hong Konger, who is also a mother of three, just really touches my heart," said Chow, a local resident.

The successful spaceflight of Lai has especially captivated the younger generation to dream bigger about the future.

"I want to be an astronaut, because I want to discover more things about space," said a young student surnamed Chow.

"I have seen things related to spaceflights of astronauts. I hope when I grow up, I could receive training and go to space myself," said another student surnamed Koo.

To meet public expectations, the Hong Kong Space Museum has updated its space-themed exhibition with the latest development of the Shenzhou-23 mission, extending the display until July 6. Parents are seizing the moment to enrich their children's knowledge.

"At his age, I want him to be exposed to a wide range of information. With all the recent astronaut news, I brought him here specially to see for himself. We will also check out a film about space knowledge at the planetarium. I hope he can get more out of this from an early age," said Cheung, a father.

"We just watched the Shenzhou-23 launch at home with my son last night, and decided to take him to the Space Museum," a mother surnamed Chun shared.

"I saw on TV that so many people were cheering for the launch. When the rocket was launched, fire burst out from its body. I was really happy they succeeded," said Chun's son.

Hong Kong's first astronaut ignites citywide enthusiasm over space exploration