China's year-to-date box office for 2025 has surpassed 2024's full-year total of 42.5 billion yuan (approximately 5.98 billion U.S. dollars), crossing a crucial milestone during the National Day holiday window as more holiday releases fill cinemas across the country.
The box office total for 2025 has reached 42.502 billion yuan as of 14:16 on Thursday, exceeding last year's final tally nearly three months before the year's end.
This year has seen the release of more than 300 films so far nationwide, spanning genres such as historical drama, comedy, animation, fantasy, and feature films.
A total of 13 new films have been scheduled for release during the eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday season, which started on Wednesday.
The box office for the holiday, including previews and presales, has exceeded 500 million yuan as of 12:25 on Thursday.
Leading the box office is "The Volunteers: Peace at Last," the final installment of director Chen Kaige's "Volunteers" trilogy which depicts the Chinese People's Volunteer Army in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-1953).
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
Films such as "Dead To Rights," a historical film about the 1937 Nanjing Massacre, and "Evil Unbound", a film depicting the atrocities committed by Japan's notorious Unit 731 during World War II, present moviegoers the Chinese people's resistance efforts from diverse perspectives.
The biggest single driver of 2025's surge has been the animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2," which opened during the Chinese New Year holiday and has amassed more than 15.4 billion yuan domestically, accounting for over a third of the annual gross to date.
Other major titles include "Detective Chinatown 1900" at 3.6 billion yuan, as well as summer box office leaders "Dead to Rights" at 3 billion yuan and "Nobody" at 1.6 billion yuan, with the latter becoming the highest-grossing 2D animated film in Chinese history.
Meanwhile, China's first space documentary, filmed in 8K ultra-high-definition cameras by its astronauts, has grossed more than 43 million yuan since its September 5 premiere.
The "Shenzhou 13," or "Blue Planet Outside the Window," chronicles the Shenzhou-13 mission featuring China's first six-month manned space station stay and the first spacewalk by a Chinese female astronaut.
China's 2025 box office surpasses 2024 as National Day releases rollout
China's 2025 box office surpasses 2024 as National Day releases rollout
The three astronauts of China's recently-returned Shenzhou-20 mission on Friday shared the experiences of their dramatic 204-day space mission, including detailing the emergency procedures which were implemented to bring them safely home after their return capsule was struck by space debris.
The trio -- Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie -- met with the press in Beijing on Friday afternoon, marking their first public appearance since returning to Earth in November.
When detailing the emergency response mechanisms which were enacted prior to their scheduled return, the astronauts explained that upon discovering a triangular crack on the spacecraft's viewport window, they immediately took photos for documentation and transmitted them to the ground team, who swiftly activated an emergency plan to get the trio home safely.
Experienced mission commander Chen Dong explained how the crew had complete faith in their colleagues on the ground to find a solution to these unforeseen circumstances which led to their return being delayed.
"First, we must trust the ground team, who would anticipate everything and develop the safest return plan for us. Second, we must believe in ourselves; as well-trained astronauts, we have the ability to manage various unexpected failures. I believe that with the collaboration of astronauts and researchers on the ground, our space home will surely go farther, more steadily, and for a longer time," he said.
Following their extended stay in space as a result of the debris incident, the Shenzhou-20 crew spent a total 204 days in orbit, setting a new record for the longest duration by a single group of Chinese astronauts.
During their mission, they completed multiple payload operations, conducted extensive scientific experiments, and carried out four extravehicular activities.
"Our crew worked together with the ground team in unity and coordination, completing four extravehicular activities, several payload entry and exit tasks, and a large number of scientific experiments. It was a fulfilling yet challenging mission. The path to exploring the heavens is long and arduous, but I firmly believe that China's space missions will succeed," said Chen Zhongrui, a former air force pilot who was making his first spaceflight during the mission.
"From the ground to space, from learning to application, I have deeply felt the solid progress of Chinese space endeavors and the quiet dedication of countless personnel behind the scenes. In the future, I will accomplish each mission with full commitment, living up to the trust of the motherland and the people," said fellow astronaut Wang Jie, who was also making his debut spaceflight.
After returning to Earth on Nov 14, the trio successfully completed their isolation recovery and rehabilitation and will now resume normal training following health assessments.
The crew's return, originally scheduled for Nov 5, was postponed due to safety concerns, with the astronauts later using the return capsule belonging to their successor crew of the Shenzhou-21 mission to get back to Earth. China later launched the unmanned Shenzhou-22 spacecraft which will serve the future return of the crew now aboard the Tiangong Space Station.
Shenzhou-20 astronauts share experiences after safely returning from debris incident
