China's Spring Festival box office revenue exceeds 7.5 bln yuan

The total box office for China's 2025 Spring Festival holiday, including pre-sales, surpassed 7.5 billion yuan (about 1.04 billion U.S. dollars) as of 09:05 Monday, according to the latest data from an online film platform.

The figure marks the highest-grossing Spring Festival period in the nation's cinema history and has solidified China's position as a global leader in box office revenue for 2025, surpassing North America.

Leading the box office chart are three domestic films. "Nezha: Demon Child Conquers the Sea," the highly anticipated follow-up to the 2019 animated blockbuster, currently holds the top spot. It is followed by the comedy-mystery "Detective Chinatown 1900," the fourth installment of the detective franchise. The epic mythological blockbuster "Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force" ranks third on the chart.

"Nezha had more than 30 percent of viewers watching in groups, a proportion significantly higher than other films. Many parents brought their children to watch the movie together. It is suitable for all ages. Its positive reputation has earned the common recognition of a large number of movie fans and regular viewers," said Chen Jin, a film data analyst.

"This time, Nezha left me very impressed. It feels like the plot has matured, and the unexpected twist at the end caught me off guard. Nezha is a movie suitable for all ages to watch," said Wang Long, a moviegoer in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province.

"Just watched 'Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force.' I think the special effects in it are very cool, I really like them," said Zhang, a resident of Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province.

Chinese people are enjoying an eight-day Spring Festival holiday running from Jan. 28 to Feb. 4. As China's most significant traditional festival, the annual holiday also heralds a lucrative movie season as watching films has become an increasingly prominent pastime for Chinese people during this period.

Six domestic films hit China's cinema screens on Wednesday, spanning a variety of genres including comedy, action, martial arts, science fiction and animation, catering to a wide spectrum of audiences.

Large flocks of wintering migratory birds were spotted foraging at a wetland park in Lianyungang City, east China's Jiangsu Province, taking advantage of favorable weather conditions after the last round of cold wave.

Various species, including wild cormorant egrets, spot-billed ducks, and mandarin ducks, stroll on the shallows, with their shadows cast on shimmering water, adding some vitality to the winter scenery.

Thanks to the continuous efforts of the local government on ecological conservation and restoration of water bodies, shorelines and wetland functions, the wetland park has become a stable and safe habitat for migratory birds.

The November-through-March window is the best period for birdwatching at the wetland park, when more than 100 species of birds wintering there.