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China’s diverse cinematic tastes shine through as regional box office favorites emerge during the New Year holiday season.Denver TodayChina’s film industry experienced a remarkable boost during the recent New Year holiday period, with box office earnings soaring past 730 million yuan (approximately $104 million). This impressive figure was accumulated over just three days—from January 1 to January 3—and was supported by nearly 1.41 million screenings across the country, drawing an audience of around 18.51 million moviegoers. However, the regional preferences for certain films reflect the diverse tastes and cultural trends across different parts of China.
Why it matters
This data not only reflects the current trends in Chinese cinema—where both domestic hits and Hollywood blockbusters compete fiercely—but it also raises an interesting question: What does the choice of regional favorites tell us about cultural preferences and movie-going habits across China? Are we witnessing a shift toward more localized content, or is the popularity of blockbuster franchises still dominant?
The details
For instance, in Guangdong Province, the local favorite was the nostalgic and time-travel-themed film ‘Back to the Past.’ Meanwhile, in prominent metropolitan regions such as Beijing, Shanghai, Sichuan, and Hainan, the blockbuster ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ took the lead at the box office, attracting large crowds with its stunning visuals and compelling storyline. Interestingly, in other parts of the country, the animated sequel ‘Zootopia 2’ managed to outperform competitors, underscoring the varied cinematic preferences across different audiences.
- The box office data was accumulated over just three days—from January 1 to January 3, 2026.
The players
China’s Film Industry
The Chinese film industry experienced a remarkable boost during the recent New Year holiday period, with box office earnings soaring past 730 million yuan (approximately $104 million).
‘Back to the Past’
A nostalgic and time-travel-themed film that was the local favorite in Guangdong Province.
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’
A blockbuster film that took the lead at the box office in prominent metropolitan regions such as Beijing, Shanghai, Sichuan, and Hainan, attracting large crowds with its stunning visuals and compelling storyline.
‘Zootopia 2’
An animated sequel that managed to outperform competitors in other parts of the country, underscoring the varied cinematic preferences across different audiences.
Top Performing Films
The five highest-earning movies during the holiday period were ‘Zootopia 2,’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash,’ ‘The Fire Raven,’ ‘Back to the Past,’ and ‘The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants.’
The takeaway
This data highlights the diverse cinematic preferences and movie-going habits across different regions in China, raising questions about the balance between localized content and the continued dominance of blockbuster franchises in the country’s film industry.
