China box office surpasses 6b yuan during robust holiday season

BEIJING -- China's box office revenues exceeded 6 billion yuan ($943.7 million) during the week-long Spring Festival holiday ending Sunday, the China Film Administration announced Monday.

The ticket sales have made this year's Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year, traditionally one of the most popular times to go to the movies, the second-highest grossing season in history, according to the administration.

The sequel to the 2021 war blockbuster The Battle at Lake Changjin has held firmly to the Chinese box office top spot, racking up 2.5 billion yuan over the holiday.

Set during the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53), The Battle at Lake Changjin tells the story of Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) fighting bravely in freezing weather in a vital campaign at Lake Changjin, also known as Chosin Reservoir.

Its sequel, of which the Chinese title roughly translates to Watergate Bridge, follows CPV soldiers of the same company as they take on a new task. This time, their battlefield is a crucial bridge on the retreat route of American troops.

The box office juggernaut was followed by the comedy Too Cool To Kill, and the feature film Nice View in ticket sales over the holiday.