China's 2025 box office tops 10 billion yuan, surpassing North America

In a major milestone of the film industry, China's box office revenue for 2025, including pre-sales, has officially exceeded 10 billion yuan (over 1.4 billion U.S. dollars), surpassing those of North America.

Latest data has showed that the box office revenue has hit 10.12 billion yuan, placing China at the top of the global box office rankings for this year.

As of 10:40 on Tuesday, the box office for the Spring Festival holiday period reached a new historical record of 8.7 billion yuan (over 1.21 billion U.S. dollars), with cinemas across the nation receiving over 170 million visits.

The number exceeding the figure registered in the 2024 Spring Festival, setting a new record for audience attendance during the Spring Festival in Chinese cinema history.

The week-long holiday, which runs from Jan. 28 to Feb. 4, is traditionally the most lucrative period for China's film industry, with audiences flocking to theaters to watch new releases.

Meanwhile, the daily box office has exceeded 1 billion yuan for six consecutive days since Jan. 29 when six films targeting the holiday season were released.

Leading the pack are the animated fantasy "Ne Zha 2," Detective Chinatown 1900" and "Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force".

The historic high box office of the Spring Festival holiday reflects the high-quality development in China's domestic films and highlights the strong recognition of Chinese traditional culture among audiences.

It also indicates vibrant consumption during the holiday as well as the consumers' confidence in domestic productions.

In addition, innovative marketing strategies have enabled Spring Festival films to break new ground ahead of schedule.

This year, the promotional methods for films during the Spring Festival have evolved from traditional events including theater previews to a diversified approach that includes short video promotions and social media interactions, igniting excitement and expectations for the films.

Moreover, special effects have become the "invisible infrastructure" of the film industry, with five out of the six blockbusters targeting the holiday season featuring advanced special effects.

Data shows that films with special visual effects have comprised about half of the total offerings during the Spring Festival seasons of the past five years.

The trend highlights how special effects have infiltrated various types of films, becoming integral to the industry.

Traditional cultural themes have also gained popularity among this year's Spring Festival films, as half of the films released during the festival are rooted in traditional Chinese culture, including ancient Chinese history, mythology, and martial arts culture.

Additionally, almost every film for this Spring Festival has been coupled with related tourist attractions, which have seen a marked increase in tourist visits as a result.

China's 2025 box office tops 10 billion yuan, surpassing North America

China's 2025 box office tops 10 billion yuan, surpassing North America

China's 2025 box office tops 10 billion yuan, surpassing North America

China's 2025 box office tops 10 billion yuan, surpassing North America

China's 2025 box office tops 10 billion yuan, surpassing North America

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on Thursday attended the launch ceremony of island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) in Haikou, the capital of south China's island province of Hainan.

China on Thursday launched island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan FTP, which has now become the world's largest FTP by area, allowing freer entry of overseas goods, expanding zero-tariff coverage, and introducing more business-friendly measures.

The move is widely seen as a landmark in China's efforts to promote free trade and expand high-standard opening-up amid rising protectionism worldwide.

Under the new arrangements, the tropical island, which spans more than 30,000 square kilometers, has been designated a special customs supervision zone. This marks a new stage in the development of the Hainan FTP, which enables the freer flow of goods, capital, personnel and data, supported by zero tariffs, low tax rates and a simplified tax system.

Speaking at the launch meeting, He, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said substantial progress has been achieved in developing the Hainan FTP, and the essential conditions for its island-wide special customs operations have been met.

The island-wide special customs operations should serve as an opportunity to deepen reforms in key sectors, steadily advance high-quality development, improve the risk prevention and control system, and build the Hainan FTP into a leading gateway for China's opening-up in the new era, he said.

He also conducted on-site inspections in the free trade port to learn about cargo customs clearance procedures, the joint prevention and control mechanisms being put in place to target smuggling, and the implementation of the offshore duty-free policy.

Chinese vice premier attends launch meeting of Hainan special customs operations