China's film market delivered striking news: by February 24, total box-office revenue had reached over 8 billion yuan (about $1.2 billion), temporarily ranking it first worldwide. According to China's Film Administration, during the nine-day Spring Festival holiday, more than 5.75 billion yuan (about $830 million) was generated from Chinese box office.

In China today, "going to the movies during Spring Festival" has quietly joined the ranks of traditional rituals like eating dumplings, pasting couplets, setting off firecrackers, and watching the Spring Festival Gala. It has become a new holiday custom.

How many films have you seen this Spring Festival?

Notice that the question is not whether you have gone to the cinema, but how many films you have already watched.

The 2026 Spring Festival lineup features a diverse array of new releases: from the high-octane racing comedy "Pegasus 3" to the suspenseful thriller "Scare Out," the martial arts action film "Blades of the Guardians" – adapted from a popular comic series – and the beloved family animation "Boonie Bears: The Hidden Protector."

Each title appeals to different tastes and age groups, offering audiences a wider range of choices and richer viewing experiences.

And the variety does not stop at new releases. Even without major new foreign films in the Spring Festival lineup, hits from last year like "Zootopia 2" and "Avatar 3," and even a special 4K re-release of "The Shining" – a truly terrifying horror experience – remained available to ticket buyers across China.

It's amusing to think that while families laugh, cry and celebrate together, someone might quietly be watching "The Shining" during Chinese New Year, and enjoying it.

From one flame to many sparks

Last year's Spring Festival thrived on a single blockbuster, "Nezha 2," which drew massive audiences to one movie. This year tells a hugely different story.

Compared to last year, which was dominated by the phenomenon-level hit "Nezha 2," this year's cumulative box office is less concentrated. No single film has reached the explosive heights of "Nezha 2," but the total momentum is more evenly distributed.

Audiences now have multiple options to choose from, and the festival has become less about one blockbuster and more about a variety of shared viewing experiences.

Sitting together matters

According to industry tracker Beacon Pro, over 70 percent of moviegoers during the Spring Festival attended in groups, filling cinemas with families and friends seated side by side.

For many, buying a ticket during Chinese New Year is about more than watching a film – it is about sitting together. Debating plot twists, sharing movie posters in chat groups, and laughing or crying at the same screen transform cinemas into spaces for family bonding and shared holiday conversation.

In a hyper-digital age, the cinema offers something increasingly rare: two uninterrupted hours of collective presence. Grandparents, parents, and children sit together in the dark, and in that shared space, celebration becomes collective again.

From eating together to going to the movies together, these rituals show that Chinese audiences are seeking not just entertainment, but shared emotional experiences and lasting memories.

A broader audience, a deeper base

Another notable feature this year is the growing contribution from lower-tier cities and county-level markets. The latest data from Beacon Pro shows audiences in third- and fourth-tier cities accounted for over 54 percent of the Spring Festival box office.

Several factors explain this surge: more cinemas bring new cultural and consumption opportunities to smaller towns; returning migrants carry urban moviegoing habits back home; and multilayered promotional campaigns, sometimes stacking provincial and municipal discounts, make tickets exceptionally affordable.

In Xiong'an New Area, Hebei Province, residents can not only use the province-wide movie vouchers online, but also stack them with local Xiong'an subsidies at cinemas. "With the voucher and local discounts, it's just 10 yuan to watch a Spring Festival release,"said cinema manager Liu Yahui. These incentives and affordable tickets drew even bigger audiences, packing out cinemas, she said.

A temporary 'number one'

In terms of a single-market comparison, China surpassed the North American market by late February and now ranks first in the world in terms of box-office revenue.

North America's box office traditionally peaks during the summer and year-end holiday seasons. China's temporary lead, therefore, signals a re-calibration in the global film landscape.

To China, the sum of $1.2 billion surpassing that of North America is a milestone, but not the finish line. The deeper shift lies elsewhere: When a movie ticket joins couplets and firecrackers on the holiday checklist, a new custom quietly takes shape.

What used to be a celebration confined to the home – laughter, reunion dinners, and family bonding – is now moving into cinemas, where shared viewing becomes part of the ritual and ticket stubs spark discussions, merchandise and more, showing how holiday consumption is expanding into new cultural realms.

Min Rui is a commentator on cultural affairs. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily those of CGTN.