BEIJING - Beyond festive foods and goods, during the ongoing Spring Festival holiday, people in China can also immerse themselves in delightful experiences featuring more cultural elements.
The holiday film lineup may leave Chinese moviegoers spoiled for choice. Six domestic movies debuted during the period, covering a diverse range of genres, such as Chinese mythology, comedy, fantasy, animation and drama.
Statistics showed that China's daily box office hit an impressive record of over 1.8 billion yuan (about $249 million) in earnings on Wednesday. The total holiday box office so far has topped 5 billion yuan.
"Ne Zha 2," a sequel to the 2019 animated blockbuster "Ne Zha," led the charts with total box office revenue of over 1.9 billion yuan as of Saturday morning.
The second and third highest-grossing films on the leaderboard are "Detective Chinatown 1900," the newest installment of the "Detective Chinatown" franchise that debuted in 2015, and "Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force," the second episode of the Chinese myth trilogy.
"We brought our kid to watch 'Ne Zha 2' and were informed that all tickets for afternoon screenings were sold out, and there were only seats available for the shows after 7 p.m.," said Xu Yiwei, a resident in the city of Hohhot, north China's Inner Mongolia, noting that the box office during this year's Spring Festival looks more prosperous than in previous years.
For those who prefer to sit comfortably on their sofas and feast on entertainment programs on TV, the annual Spring Festival gala on Chinese New Year's Eve is undoubtedly something not to be missed. The gala, featuring significant intangible cultural heritage content, garnered 16.8 billion views across all media platforms.
More people could enjoy the festive atmosphere of the gala this year. The 2025 gala featured its first-ever accessible broadcast for visually and hearing-impaired audiences. Sign language performers attended the broadcast, and audio programs provided narratives and background interpretations of the gala for relevant groups.
Chinese museums and cultural facilities also offer options for those wishing to spend an entertaining and educational festival.
The Natural History Museum of China has launched a special exhibition featuring snake-themed cultural relics to celebrate the Year of the Snake. In addition to natural science knowledge about snakes, the exhibition also explores the development and evolution of zodiac culture, offering a comprehensive display of the rich and diverse symbolism of snakes in traditional Chinese culture.
The 3,300-year-old Yin Ruins, confirmed as the capital site of the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), is also the historical era depicted in the "Creation of the Gods" series. Anyang City in central China's Henan Province has seized the opportunity of the latest movie's release to launch a series of activities promoting the culture of the ancient period.
"Watching the Chinese mythology and experiencing the rejuvenated appeal of traditional classics, this Spring Festival is truly extraordinary," said Anyang resident Lyu Tianyu after watching the film.
