Major ports across China saw a surge in passenger traffic during the 2026 New Year holiday, which lasts from Thursday to Saturday.
At Shanghai Pudong International Airport's Terminal 2 immigration hall, travelers crowded the counters on New Year's Day, the first day of the holiday. Authorities said ports in Shanghai are expected to handle 322,000 passenger movements during the three-day holiday, up 17.8 percent from a year earlier.
"This is probably the eighth or ninth time I'm coming to China this year, and the experience actually at the airport has been much facilitated," said a German traveler.
Ports in Shanghai reported an increase in international arrivals in 2025, according to local immigration inspection authorities.
"In 2025, ports in Shanghai saw more than 5.6 million inbound international travelers, nearly 40 percent more than the previous year. Of these, 3.286 million entered under visa-free or 240-hour visa-free transit policies, accounting for 58 percent of the total inbound international travelers," said Lan Gongqiang, deputy director of the border inspection department of Shanghai Airport Immigration Inspection Station.
Beijing also reported strong growth of inbound and outbound traveler numbers in 2025.
Its ports handled more than 21.4 million inbound and outbound travelers in 2025, up 17.4 percent from the previous year, marking the highest annual figure since 2020.
China's major ports see holiday travel surge
China's box office closed out 2025 at record levels, cementing its position as one of the world's most powerful film markets.
The 2025 box office revenue in the country totaled 51.8 billion yuan (about 7 billion U.S. dollars), up nearly 22 percent year on year, according to the China Film Administration on Thursday.
Strong domestic releases and sustained audience demand pushed annual revenue to new highs, extending China's box-office growth streak.
"Over the years, China has refreshed box office records again and again - from Hollywood blockbusters like 'Avengers' and 'Avatar' to now 'Zootopia 2', to local productions like 'The Wandering Earth' and 'NeZha 2'. This market shows great potential and is still waiting for many filmmakers to explore," said Will Zang, a film publicist.
"Zootopia 2" became Walt Disney Animation Studios' highest grossing movie of all time, earning 1.46 billion U.S. dollars worldwide, with more than 500 million U.S. dollars coming from China. While Chinese audiences brought international box-office success to some Hollywood productions, Chinese productions have also ramped up their reach abroad.
Meanwhile, Chinese films achieved notable international success in 2025, screening in 46 countries and regions worldwide and serving as a vital cultural bridge by enhancing global audiences’ understanding of China.
Among the Chinese films that made an impact, "Dead to Rights," had a particularly powerful story to tell. It recounts events during the Nanjing Massacre, a series of war crimes during WWII that are often forgotten in the West.
"We heard about the story of Nanjing, of how the Japanese -- it was a genocide back then -- that we weren't even aware of. So, really looking forward to it," said Brian Abell, an American film enthusiast in Los Angeles.
The thriving Chinese market, marked by record-breaking revenue, provides fertile ground for both domestic and international films. Analysts pointed out that the Chinese market's remarkable diversity includes documentaries, arthouse films from international festivals, and niche imports from Europe, all of which have found dedicated audiences.
2025 was the fifth year that China's annual box office has crossed the 50-billion-yuan threshold, following 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2023. According to movie data platform Maoyan, China contributed nearly 24 percent of the global box office in 2025, trailing only North America, which accounted for roughly 29 percent.
As the market continues to grow, its diversity and global prominence will likely shape the future of cinema both in China and around the world.
2025 marks blockbuster year for China's domestic box office, global appeal
