Movie goers linger for tidbits after a screening at a cinema in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Jan. 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Tao Liang)

Buoyed by robust holiday ticket sales, China's 2023 box office hit the 20 billion yuan (2.89 billion U.S. dollars) milestone on Sunday, earlier than last year, according to film data platforms Maoyan and Beacon.

China hit this milestone after recording the third highest-grossing May Day holiday when around 1.52 billion yuan was generated over five days through May 3. The May Day holiday success was largely driven by the comedy "Godspeed" and action film "Born to Fly," a dramatic depiction of China's elite pilots testing new fighter jets.

Back in January, the Spring Festival holiday -- usually one of the most lucrative moviegoing periods in China -- was the second highest-grossing to date. It raked in a whopping 6.77 billion yuan as crowds flooded theaters following China's adjustment of its response to COVID and lifting of many pandemic restrictions.

So far the yearly top five earners were all released during the Spring Festival holiday.

"Full River Red," Zhang Yimou's first foray into the "suspense plus comedy" genre, topped the chart with 4.54 billion yuan. It was immediately followed by Guo Fan's "The Wandering Earth II," a prequel to a 2019 sci-fi blockbuster.

Only two foreign films made it into the top 10 earners, namely animated fantasy "Suzume" and the sci-fi movie "Avatar: The Way of Water."

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