China's 2023 box office earnings exceed 54.9b yuan

BEIJING - The Chinese film market has shown robust recovery momentum, with the total box office earnings for 2023 exceeding 54.91 billion yuan (over $7.75 billion).

The figure is lower than the record highs of over 60 billion yuan in 2019 and 2018, but close to the level in 2017, making it the fourth-highest annual box office in Chinese film history.

Data released by the China Film Administration on Monday showed that nearly 1.3 billion tickets were sold throughout the year.

Domestic productions have generated over 46 billion yuan in box office revenue, accounting for 83.77 percent of the national total.

The top 10 spots on the box office chart were dominated by domestic titles, with suspense comedy "Full River Red" ranking first, followed by sci-fi blockbuster "The Wandering Earth II" and crime drama "No More Bets" in the second and third place.

Zhi Feina, a professor with the Chinese National Academy of Arts, noted that domestic films this year saw a noticeable improvement in quality as they reflect traditional Chinese culture and real life, emotionally relating to the audience.

Looking back on the year, box office performance during key movie-going seasons stood out, including the Spring Festival and summer holidays.

Over the past year, a good number of young Chinese filmmakers, actors, and screenwriters have emerged as an important force behind the growth of the industry.

According to experts, their works have shown great promise and potential.

Director Guo Fan and his team behind the smash hit "The Wandering Earth" franchise have worked tirelessly to put Chinese science fiction on the big screen. The team that produced the animated feature "Chang An" have worked to represent the life of the "Immortal Poet" Li Bai in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The action movie "Born to Fly" offers a dramatic depiction of China's elite pilots testing new fighter jets.

"The stories are told in a relatable yet energetic way," commented one netizen.

"I can't wait to watch the next installation of 'The Wandering Earth,'" said another.

As a medium for cultural exchange, the film industry has played a crucial role in promoting communication and mutual learning between various civilizations.

Over the past year, imported blockbusters featuring diverse genres have enriched China's film market, while an array of domestic productions that "went global" have amazed foreign audiences with the charm of Chinese culture.

The sci-fi hit "The Wandering Earth II" and the epic mythological masterpiece "Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms" hit the big screens in various countries.

Domestic productions such as "Hidden Blade," "One and Only," and "Lost in the Stars" also graced overseas cinemas.

In addition, China hosted Chinese film festivals or exhibitions in countries like Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, and Russia in 2023, enabling foreign filmmakers to understand Chinese films in-depth.

China unveiled the inaugural Golden Panda Awards last year, which honor global film, TV, documentary, and animation achievements, demonstrating efforts to expand cinematic exchanges between China and the rest of the world.