China’s National Day Holiday Box Office Surpasses $134 Million As Film Tourism Gains Momentum

China's National Day holiday box office has surpassed 900 million yuan ($134.2 million), including advance sales, as strong cinema attendance during the week-long break coincides with growing film-related tourism and cultural activities across the country.

The holiday runs from Oct. 1 to Oct. 7, with daily box-office revenue exceeding 100 million yuan for five consecutive days, according to data cited by China Central Television. More than 10 new domestic and international films were released during the holiday, spanning genres including crime thrillers, comedy, animation and family-oriented films.

Among the films leading the holiday box-office chart are "Traces of Justice," "Resident Evil" and "Mr. and Mrs. Pardon," according to the reported data.

"Traces of Justice," a crime thriller based on the real-life work of forensic evidence specialist Cui Daozhi, has been one of the major domestic releases during the holiday. The film follows investigators as they use physical evidence to solve criminal cases and has attracted audiences with its crime and investigative storyline.

The performance comes as China's National Day holiday remains an important period for domestic film releases. A China Daily report said the country's total box office for 2026 had surpassed 30.2 billion yuan as of Oct. 4, with the National Day holiday providing another boost to cinema activity.

The holiday film market has also been accompanied by a growing connection between cinema and tourism.

Film-related attractions have drawn visitors to locations featured in movies. In Jiangmen, Guangdong province, for example, filming locations associated with the crime film "V" have attracted tourists interested in its distinctive arcade-style buildings and historic villages, according to reports citing Chinese media.

Local governments and tourism operators have also been experimenting with film-themed activities. In Qingdao, Shandong province, holiday programs have included film-themed trains and tour routes, seaside outdoor screenings, film carnivals and cultural fairs.

The trend reflects an effort to turn popular films into broader cultural and tourism experiences rather than limiting their economic impact to cinema ticket sales.

The holiday has also featured a wide range of films aimed at different audience groups. Chinese-language reports cited by CCTV included crime and suspense productions, films focusing on older adults, family comedies and animated titles, offering audiences a variety of choices during the break.

Earlier in the holiday, CCTV reported that National Day box-office revenue, including presales, had passed 700 million yuan by Oct. 4, with daily revenue exceeding 100 million yuan for four consecutive days.

The latest figures indicate that the market continued to gain momentum as the holiday progressed, although the 900 million yuan figure remains a running total rather than the final result for the entire holiday period.

The combination of movie releases, cinema attendance and film-inspired tourism highlights the broader role of cultural consumption during China's National Day holiday. As the holiday concludes, final box-office figures will provide a clearer picture of the overall performance of this year's National Day film market.