Films infused with traditional Chinese cultural elements have taken the spotlight during the 2025 Spring Festival, sparking a cinematic boom.
The week-long Spring Festival holiday, running from Jan. 28 to Feb. 4 in 2025, is traditionally China's most lucrative moviegoing window. This year, a stellar lineup has been presented to audiences, including "Ne Zha 2", the detective thriller "Detective Chinatown 1900", and the fantasy film "Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force".
According to data from online platforms, as of 14:43 on Tuesday, the total box office for films released during the 2025 Spring Festival has surpassed 11 billion yuan (about 1.53 billion U.S. dollars).
Additionally, by 10:00 on the same day, the total number of moviegoers during the 2025 Spring Festival has exceeded 170 million, surpassing the total number from the 2024 Spring Festival and setting a new record for moviegoers during this period in Chinese cinema history.
Cinemas in cities like Rizhao in east China's Shandong Province and Guiyang in southwest China's Guizhou Province saw packed audiences throughout the Spring Festival.
Films released during this period catered to a wide range of age groups and people with diverse preferences. From Jan. 29 to Feb. 3, the box office saw a remarkable six-day streak of daily earnings surpassing 1 billion yuan (about 139 million U.S. dollars).
"Nearly every screening was fully booked from 13:00 to 21:00 these days. We've extended our hours from 8:00 to midnight and added extra staff in response," said Yang Qingfeng, an on-duty manager of a cinema in Rizhao City.
Among the standout releases, "Ne Zha 2", which draws inspiration from the tale of a mythological figure of the same name from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) novel "Fengshen Yanyi", or "The Investiture of the Gods", reimages the classic tale with modern twists, captivating audience with its stunning animation and compelling storyline.
"There's a scene where all the demons escape from the Demon Suppression Tower, and the iron chains move like strands of hair. The special effects in this movie really show how far Chinese animation has come," said Zhang Yue, a viewer from Guiyang.
Another highlight, "Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force", a domestic fantasy production also inspired by "The Investiture of the Gods", delivers epic battle scenes and breathtaking visual effects, immersing viewers in rich traditional Chinese cultural elements.
"Every detail in the movie was designed to show the audience the essence of traditional Chinese culture. That's the creation principle we adhered to: honoring the tradition while pushing for innovation," said Wuershan, the film's director.
"Chinese viewers are more inclined to watch movies featuring unique Chinese elements. Historical epics like 'Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force' resonate deeply with them. Movies with Chinese elements can truly offer fresh perspectives and new elements that viewers haven't seen before," said Kris Phillips, known in China as Fei Xiang, a lead actor in the film.
Films featuring traditional Chinese cultural elements shine during 2025 Spring Festival
China will take more effective measures to improve people's wellbeing, especially in education, healthcare, and social security, an official said Thursday in Beijing at a press conference on the interpretation of this year's government work report, which was submitted to the national legislature for deliberation earlier in the day.
Shen Danyang, head of the government work report drafting team and director of the State Council Research Office, said centering on enhancing educational equity and quality, the report made arrangements for education at all educational stages and of all types.
"Regarding preschool education, the policy of free education in the year prior to entering primary school will continue to be implemented this year, which is commonly referred to as free admission to the senior class of kindergartens. So, how can the income reduction of kindergartens be addressed? Subsidies will be provided by both the central and local governments, with the central government taking the lion's share. This year, the funds allocated to support the development of preschool education will increase significantly by 37.8 percent to ensure the implementation of the beneficial policy," he said.
Regarding senior high school education, Shen said the report stated that the supply of regular senior high school places will be increased,
Specifically, for areas with a continuous net inflow of population, a number of regular high schools will be planned and constructed on an annual basis. For regions with a temporary shortage of school places, priority will be given to the renovation and expansion of existing teaching buildings, student dormitories and canteens, he said.
Shen said the report put forward many supportive measures in healthcare.
"For instance, it urged efforts to strengthen coordination in drug use at the grassroots level, which mean improving the list of essential drugs, and optimizing the channels for drug supply and drug use coordination between upper- and lower-level medical and health institutions to make it more convenient for the public to use drugs at their doorstep. Besides, the report has made arrangements for supporting the development of innovative drugs for the third consecutive year. This year, China will strengthen the coordination of supportive policies in an all-round way, further address issues such as the barriers facing innovative drugs entering hospitals, and better meet the diverse medical and medication needs of the people," he said.
In terms of social security, Shen said the report proposed to continue raising the minimum standard of basic pensions for urban and rural residents -- a policy will benefit over 180 million elderly people.
"The central government will allocate 1.25 trillion yuan (about 181.25 billion U.S. dollars) in subsidy funds to ensure the timely and full payment of pensions. In response to the insufficient protection of the rights and interests of people engaging in new occupations, the report proposed to steadily and orderly expand the scale of the pilot program for occupational injury insurance. This year, the policy will cover 31 provincial-level regions across the country and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. Meanwhile, enterprises specializing in travel, instant delivery and intra-city freight delivery will be included in the pilot program, which will ensure the safety of more laborers, such as food delivery workers and online car-hailing drivers," he said.
China to improve people's wellbeing in education, healthcare, social security: official
