'Ne Zha 2' merchandise in high demand as it breaks box office records

"Ne Zha: Demon Child Conquers the Sea", or "Ne Zha 2," the animated feature that has taken China's box office by storm, is also driving a surge in sales of related merchandise and an increasing number of tourists to locations featured in the movie.

According to Chinese ticketing platform Beacon, "Ne Zha 2," a sequel to the 2019 hit featuring a mythical boy with magical powers and exceptional martial arts skills, grossed over 7.503 billion yuan (over 1.03 billion U.S. dollars) as of 23:30 Beijing Time on Saturday. It has become the highest-grossing film of all time in China.

The sequel continues the story of the iconic character from Chinese mythology. Set after the events of the first film, it follows Ne Zha and Ao Bing as their souls are saved but their physical forms face dissolution.

Taiyi Zhenren, an immortal, helps Ne Zha and Ao Bing by using the Seven-Colored Lotus to rebuild their bodies. However, after regaining their physical forms, they still have to overcome many difficulties.

As the film swept Chinese cinemas, the demand for its related merchandise has also skyrocketed, creating a "Ne Zha fever." At a trendy toy store in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, customers lined up in hopes of purchasing blind box toys inspired by the film, only to leave empty-handed as the products were sold out.

A "blind box" is a type of packaging that keeps its contents hidden.

According to staff of the store, most of the Ne Zha-related merchandise had sold out, even on e-commerce platforms.

"It's completely sold out," a customer came all the way from Zhaoqing City to Guangzhou City in south China's Guangdong Province, trying to buy a Ne Zha-themed blind box.

Meanwhile, the film has also sparked a tourism boom to Qianyuan Mountain in southwest China's Sichuan Province, the holy place of Ne Zha's master Taiyi Zhenren practicing Taoism, an ancient tradition of philosophy and religious beliefs based in Chinese customs that emphasizes harmony between humanity and the natural world.

"I came from Chengdu to see Qianyuan Mountain's Golden Light Cave, the very place where Taiyi Zhenren practiced Taoist doctrine," said a tourist.

'Ne Zha 2' merchandise in high demand as it breaks box office records

'Ne Zha 2' merchandise in high demand as it breaks box office records

'Ne Zha 2' merchandise in high demand as it breaks box office records

Demonstrators rallied across U.S. cities over the weekend to denounce the military action in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, who were flown out of the country.

The Venezuelan government said the military strikes targeted civilian and military sites in at least four states, including Caracas, as well as the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira, adding that the U.S. action blatantly violated the UN Charter.

The U.S. military intervention has since drawn widespread criticism, sparking protests at home.

Protesters gathered outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn on Sunday, where Maduro is being held, calling the U.S. government actions outrageous and a violation of international law.

Others gathered in the Times Square on Saturday following the capture of the Venezuelan president and his wife, saying the actions are not only illegal but also showed no respect.

"I mean, you don't just step in and take over another country. We have absolutely no right to do that. We have so much trouble in our country right here," said a protester named Sartre.

"It just defies not only human respectability in life but common sense," said another protester.

Additionally, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the White House, holding banners with slogans reading "Hands off Venezuela" and "Stop bombing Venezuela now."

Demonstrators rally in US cities over military action in Venezuela