Jilin’s National Day Holiday Film Market Remains Red Hot

During the 2026 National Day holiday, movie consumption in Jilin Province maintained strong momentum. A diverse lineup of films, province-city joint preferential policies, plus the cross-integration model of "Cinema +", have effectively energized the holiday cultural market, making movie-going a key driver boosting Jilin’s holiday economy.

Data from Maoyan Professional Edition shows that as of 9 a.m. on October 8, the total box office of Jilin’s National Day holiday film season exceeded 21.0171 million yuan, with over 590,000 admissions and more than 50,000 screenings. The number of film screenings in the province hit a record high for the same period in recent years. What’s Up, Couple?, Trace of the Detective, and Resident Evil: Night of Outbreak claimed the top three box office spots of the season.

Family comedy What’s Up, Couple? claimed the top place in the province’s rankings for box office, admissions and screenings, thanks to its strong northeastern regional features and relatable marital story that resonates deeply with audiences. Trace of the Detective, adapted from the real-life story of Cui Daozhi, recipient of the July 1st Medal and nationally renowned trace evidence expert, delicately portrays police officers’ dedication to their mission and pursuit of excellence, vividly showcasing the iteration and leap forward of China’s criminal investigation technology. Blockbuster import Resident Evil: Night of Outbreak drew large crowds of young film fans with its immersive audio-visual experience.

Compared with previous years, this year’s National Day film season shows new trends: film genres have become more segmented, covering audiences across all age groups. Viewers of different ages and preferences jointly drove box office growth. Beyond headliner films, multiple niche titles tapped into new market potential. 3D animated film Peppa Pig: Perfect Holiday incorporates indigenous Chinese cultural elements including high-speed railways, dragon boat races and dumpling-making, well catering to family viewing demands. Warm comedy Vitality focuses on romance for middle-aged and elderly women, creating a brand-new consumption scenario of "watching movies with parents". Suspense and action films such as Battle of Investigation and Reborn 2 precisely target hardcore genre fans, forming a market pattern with gains across multiple categories.

Meanwhile, high-quality films demonstrated prominent long-tail effects. Hit summer blockbusters Welcome to Dragon Restaurant and The Eight Immortals! continued to draw audiences during the National Day holiday, with attendance rates comparable to new releases. Audiences voluntarily shared ticket stubs, wrote reviews and created derivative content. This proves that outstanding content can sustain vitality across different screening seasons, and positive word-of-mouth is the core competitiveness of the film market.

The "Cinema +" multi-industry integration is a major driver for the growth of Jilin’s film market. Consumption vouchers at both provincial and municipal levels were increased. Provincial film vouchers were issued in limited quantities daily, while Changchun launched instant discounts for movie tickets to lower the barrier for filmgoers. Cross-industry reciprocal benefits were rolled out province-wide: tickets from Changying Cinema entitle holders to discounted admission to the Changying Movie Museum and China FAW Museum, and tickets from cultural and museum venues can also be redeemed for movie vouchers. Wanda Cinemas, Xinhua Bookstore and Jilin Provincial Concert Hall rolled out reciprocal offers for "Cinema + Food", "Cinema + Reading", and "Light and Music" respectively. In Jilin City and Yanbian, intangible cultural heritage performances were brought into cinemas. A single movie ticket stub connects scenic spots, shopping malls and cultural museums, extending the consumption chain. Cinemas are no longer mere screening halls, but hubs for urban cultural consumption. For audiences, going to the cinema is not just watching a movie, but a starting point for a full range of holiday activities — visiting museums, tasting food, buying books, enjoying intangible heritage shows and performances.

As a national pilot city for comprehensive "Cinema +" consumption, Changchun acts as the core box office base, contributing more than half of the province’s total box office with remarkable pulling power. According to Maoyan Professional Edition, during the 2026 National Day holiday, Changchun recorded over 300,000 admissions and a box office of 11.5135 million yuan, with year-on-year performance 29 percentage points higher than the national average. Changying Cinema China FAW Museum Store leverages the two major IPs — "Cradle of New China’s Cinema" and "Cradle of New China’s Automobile Industry". It has further developed "Cinema + Industrial Cultural Tourism" with reciprocal ticket offers, creating a one-stop holiday travel route of exploring industrial heritage and enjoying cinematic feasts.

Chu Xiaohong, the store manager, said the cinema maintained diverse scheduling, with special sessions for families and red-themed films, paired with stamp-collecting check-in activities and red song challenges, building a distinctive cultural space for factory staff, nearby residents and tourists. Pan Qingyu, person in charge of Ruyi Wanda Cinemas in Jilin Province, stated that during the 7-day National Day holiday, 22 Wanda and Huanying cinemas across Jilin Province arranged nearly 9,000 screenings, among which close to 700 were on IMAX, CINITY and other premium large-format screens, achieving a box office of 8.046 million yuan, representing a year-on-year rise of 11.3% and a market share up to 38.3%. Four Wanda cinemas in the province ranked among the nation’s top 100 cinemas by box office, and Huanying Cinema at Changchun MixC Mall took the 9th spot nationwide.