China's domestic box office takings (including pre-sales) during the Spring Festival holiday exceeded 1 billion yuan ($157 million) as of Tuesday morning, data from the online movie ticketing platform Maoyan showed, with the Korean War-themed movie sequel "The Battle at Lake Changjin II" taking a dominant lead.

The sequel to last year's megahit Chinese movie "The Battle at Lake Changjin" has so far amassed 430 million yuan in pre-sales. Set during the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-1953), it follows the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) soldiers taking on a new task at a crucial bridge named "Water Gate Bridge" on the retreat route of American troops.

Jointly directed by Chinese filmmakers Chen Kaige, Tsui Hark and Dante Lam, the sequel sees the comeback of the original cast led by actors Wu Jing and Jackson Yee.

Last year, "The Battle at Lake Changjin" broke several records in the global film industry. With a total of 5.77 billion yuan ($905 million) recorded in box office takings, it led the global box office chart in 2021. It is still the highest-grossing movie in the history of Chinese cinema.

Altogether, eight movies will hit Chinese theaters on Chinese New Year's Day, Tuesday. In addition to "The Battle at Lake Changjin II," another war epic "Snipers" helmed by renowned Chinese director Zhang Yimou will also join the competition. The film features a CPV army sniper, whose marksmanship was widely taken as a threat by the U.S. army during the Korean War. 

Meanwhile, comedy films "Only Fools Rush in" and "Too Cool to Kill," drama film "Nice View," and animated films "Boonie Bears: Back to Earth," "Dunk for Future" will also premiere on the same day.