China's film industry saw a phenomenal performance at the 2025 Spring Festival holiday, achieving historical results in the box office revenue and setting a new record with 187 million moviegoers, driven by factors such as effective marketing and excellent planning.
The explosive growth of the Chinese film market during the eight-day holiday has disproved earlier beliefs that cinemas have lost their appeals to Chinese audience, only to reflect their strong approval for high-quality films and the unique cinema experience.
"The audiovisual experiences in a cinema are truly different. Watching a plot with strangers, and feeling the collective emotional response to the changing scenes from the dynamic and static environment, is much better than watching at home," said a moviegoer.
Business insiders suggest that multiple factors contributed to this boom.
All six films that hit the big screen during this period were well marketed and promoted, according to experts. Data from the popular video-sharing platform Douyin showed that content related to the films garnered 47.1 billion views, while the films' official accounts on the platform gained 7.83 million followers.
"As we know, the film promotion started over a month in advance, and everybody made a lot efforts on the film promotion and distribution. Professionals in the film industry have been actively engaged the audience, responding to online praise and criticism. This indicates that they care a lot about the connection with the audience. In promotion, we see a gradual disclosure of things like characters' appearance on video-sharing platforms such as Douyin and Kuaishou," said Zhi Feina, a professor with the Chinese National Academy of Arts.
Cinemas are also well-prepared to accommodate the surge in moviegoers. Modern cinemas offer diverse entertainment services, from dining to interactive activities and themed environments.
"From the lobby to the main corridor, we've set up various displays for the films that are released for the Spring Festival holiday. This year, we set up a 'God of Wealth' section, allowing customers to take photos and draw lots," said Chen Ying, manager of Wanda Cinema CBD branch.
Wanda Cinema reported a 22-percent year-on-year growth in box office revenue during this Spring Festival holiday.
"We have standalone sofas and bench. We also have dozens of booths. These provide young people with space to relax with a few friends when watching movies in our cinema, ensuring a pleasant experience," said Li Hang, a manager on duty at Emperor Cinemas' Beijing Sanlitun branch.
The Chinese movie market craze continues beyond the Spring Festival holiday, boosting tourism at filming locations and the development of film-related merchandise.
"We are pleased to see the collaboration between the film 'Detective Chinatown 1900' and Laoling City in Shandong Province. The film authorities have launched themed activities at the shooting location of Chinatown film in Laoling, such as activities that combine film with and tourism, and those combine film with local delicacies. We've seen there are a lot of visitors in Laoling in recent days, all for 'Detective Chinatown 1900'," said Zhi.
Chinese film market booms during Spring Festival holiday
The Chinese animated blockbuster Ne Zha 2 began preview screenings in London on Friday ahead of its official release in the country and Ireland on March 21, attracting excited crowds to watch the film in advance.
The film made its debut in the UK at London's BFI IMAX, home to the country's largest IMAX screen and is scheduled to screen in over 250 cinemas of 100 cities across the UK and Ireland during the first week of release.
The film's Europe-wide distributor, Trinity CineAsia, announced that it has acquired theatrical distribution rights for Ne Zha 2 across 37 countries in Europe, including the UK, Ireland, and Germany. This scale of film release is exceptionally rare in the history of overseas distribution for Chinese-language films, reflecting the strong confidence of local cinemas in the movie's market potential.
"The fact that it is here and, you know, that we are getting a lot more influx of films from all across Asia from China, South Korea, Japan, South Asia as well. I think it's really good to kind of like widen the palate, because we all want to escape our little cinematic bubble and see what the rest of the world has to offer," said Jack Martin, a film reviewer, in an interview with the China Central Television (CCTV).
"Ne Zha 2" has shattered global box office records to become the No. 1 box office animated film of all times and also the first non-Hollywood production to crack the global all-time top 10 box office chart.
Rooted in 16th-century Chinese mythology with a bold reinterpretation, the movie has attracted attention of global audiences with its stunning visuals, well-crafted storytelling, and deep cultural heritage.
"And I think all these elements show that Ne Zha 2 is both a film that's modern, but also has its roots in something very deep and very ancient," said Cedric Behrel, managing director of Trinity CineAsia, in an interview with the CCTV.
Many audiences attending the preview screening in London have shared their thoughts about the movie in interviews with the CCTV.
"It was moving like heartwarming. Yes, I'll go home now and talk to it to all my friends," said a moviegoer.
"I thought that the humor of the film was really great, but it balances so perfectly with some of the more dramatic and heartfelt moments of it. And yeah, I really, really enjoyed it. And the language barrier was not a problem at all," said another moviegoer.
"We might not speak the same language, but at its heart is a very universal theme of friendship and just trying to do right in the world. And I think that a lot of people really resonate with that. I can see why it's done so well in China already," said Jack Martin.
James Smith, an social media influencer, shared his views about the movie in Chinese language during the interview. He thought the movie can serve as a bridge for foreigners to understand Chinese culture.
"I watched Ne Zha, the 2019 box office hit, in China. When I heard that its sequel was set to debut in the UK today, I rushed to the cinema to see it. It's definitely a great movie, filled with humor, touching moments, and encouragement. My friends often ask me how they can better understand China, because they think I know something about the country. I would say that you can watch the Ne Zha 2, as I believe it's a great film and through which you can learn something about Chinese culture," he said.
Ne Zha 2 begins preview screenings in London, captivating local audiences
