Spring Festival box office surges past 6 billion yuan, China prepares for increased return journeys

As of 1:19 p.m. on February 15, the sixth day of the Spring Festival holiday, China's Spring Festival box office revenue, including pre-sales, has exceeded 6.2 billion yuan (around $871 million), making it among top three in the history of Chinese Spring Festival box office, according to data from Lighthouse, an Alibaba-owned box office tracker. 

Domestic comedy film "YOLO" continued to top China's daily box office chart on Thursday, according to data.

The movie tells the story of an unemployed woman in her 30s who still lives with her parents until she meets a boxing coach who may change her life. As of Thursday, the film has grossed more than 2.1 billion yuan in its first six days.

The domestic comedy-drama "Pegasus 2" came in second, grossing over 1.8 billion yuan in total.

It was followed by the domestic animated film "Boonie Bears: Time Twist," which exceeded 1 billion yuan during the holiday.

As more people prepare to return to work after the big holiday, China's transportation sectors are taking measures to ensure smooth return journeys for travelers.

The highway system has seen an increasing number of return trips starting Wednesday, with a peak expected on Sunday, the last day of the holiday, according to Xinhua.

Efforts will be made by the Ministry of Transport to alleviate congestion on crowded road sections and enhance vehicle traffic efficiency at toll stations.

Highway traffic is expected to peak at 65.2 million vehicles, about 1.75 times the average volume of vehicles on the road network during the Spring Festival travel rush, according to vice minister of Transport Li Yang.

In the railway system, additional passenger trains are being deployed on specific routes, and longer trains are being put into use on high-speed lines to enhance overall passenger capacity.

For air travel, airports have increased the frequency of flights on popular routes and replaced narrow-body aircraft with wide-body ones for certain flights. Beijing Daxing International Airport is expected to accommodate about 36,000 flights and welcome over 5.5 million passengers during the Spring Festival travel rush.

(With input from Xinhua)