Nanjing Massacre film achieves marked box office, resonates with moviegoers

"Dead to Rights," a film based on the Nanjing Massacre, resonates deeply with Chinese moviegoers, conveying the theme of cherishing peace and the hard-won happy life today.

The movie has taken China's summer box office by storm, grossing over 1.7 billion yuan (about 236.6 million US dollars) in 13 days, according to data from online ticketing platforms.

Marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the film is based on authentic visual evidence of Japanese military crimes in 1937, and has ignited strong emotions among viewers.

The Nanjing Massacre took place when Japanese troops captured the then-Chinese capital on Dec 13, 1937. Over the course of six weeks, they proceeded to kill approximately 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers in one of the most barbaric episodes of World War II.

Drawing on verified photographic evidence of Japanese wartime atrocities during the Nanjing Massacre, "Dead to Rights" tells the story of a group of Chinese civilians who seek refuge in a photography studio during the brutal occupation of Nanjing by Japanese invading troops.

"I never hoped to spread violence or the seeds of hatred through this film, but hope that it encourages viewers to focus on the present, to hope for peace, and to cherish the life today," said Shen Ao, director of the film.

At the end of the movie, pictures of present-day Nanjing overlaid with archival wartime photographs were showcased, reminding viewers of the profound historical upheaval and the hard-earned peace of today.

"The scenes depicted through realistic visual language in the film create a powerful impact. I believe it holds significant educational value for our generation, who live in a peaceful era," said a moviegoer.

Nanjing Massacre film achieves marked box office, resonates with moviegoers

Nanjing Massacre film achieves marked box office, resonates with moviegoers

Nanjing Massacre film achieves marked box office, resonates with moviegoers

Nanjing Massacre film achieves marked box office, resonates with moviegoers

China's outstanding aggregate social financing -- the total amount of financing to the real economy -- reached 442.12 trillion yuan (about 63.4 trillion U.S. dollars) as of the end of 2025, up 8.3 percent year on year, central bank data showed on Thursday.

The country's aggregate social financing stood at 35.6 trillion yuan (about 5.1 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2025, up by 3.34 trillion yuan (about 479 billion U.S. dollars) from the year 2024, said the People's Bank of China (PBOC), the country's central bank.

According to the data, the M2, a broad measure of money supply that covers cash in circulation and all deposits, increased 8.5 percent year on year to 340.29 trillion yuan (about 48.8 trillion U.S. dollars) as of the end of December.

In addition, outstanding yuan loans stood at 271.91 trillion yuan (about 39 trillion U.S. dollars) at the end of 2025, up 6.4 percent year on year.

China's aggregate social financing maintains high growth in 2025