Domestic films in China totalled about 3.2 billion yuan (US$50 million) during the first three days of the Chinese New Year holiday, a new record for the Chinese film market, Xinhua news agency reported.
The momentum of the nation’s film market was evident on the first day of the holiday, when the box office reached 1.26 billion yuan (US$20 million). That figure marked an increase of more than 50%, compared to the 810-million-yuan box office over the same period last year.
“The more than one billion yuan figure surpassed the previous single-day box office record worldwide,” said Yin Hong, deputy director of the China Literature and Art Critics Association, “It means watching movies has gained wide recognition from the Chinese public as a new mode of consumption.”
The second day of the holiday continued the momentum with a single-day box office of nearly 1.02 billion yuan.
Insiders believe the rapid development of the movie market reflects a growing demand in cultural consumption.
1.26 billion yuan is not $20 million but rather $200 million.