BEIJING, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Buoyed by the strong performances of three domestic productions, Chinese mainland box office has shattered multiple records during the seven-day National Day holiday.
Box office revenue on the mainland totaled about 5 billion yuan (about 699.54 million U.S. dollars) during the holiday, which ran from Oct. 1 to 7, making it the highest-grossing National Day film season in history.
For the first time in history, over 100 million film tickets were sold on the mainland during the holiday, according to Chinese film database Maoyan.
Only 276 days into 2019, annual box office revenue reached 50 billion yuan on Oct. 3, passing the mark in the fewest days in history.
Three domestic blockbusters have contributed to the overwhelming majority of the box office sales. "My People, My Country," a film celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), grossed over 2.2 billion yuan since hitting screens on Sept. 30.
Featuring seven short stories and seven directors led by Chen Kaige, the film draws on important historical moments since the founding of the PRC in 1949, aiming to awaken the shared memories of Chinese people around the world.
"The film focuses on everyday people whose lives connect personally with important historical occasions of the country," said film critic Liu Haibo. "This helps filmgoers resonate with the stories."
Box office revenue of the film is expected to reach 3 billion yuan on the mainland, according to Maoyan.
Two domestic films based on true events also scored critical and box office success during the holiday. "The Captain" raked in nearly 2 billion yuan after eight days of screening. The film is a cinematic portrayal of a real-life event that occurred on May 14, 2018, when a captain of Sichuan Airlines managed a safe emergency landing and brought home the 119 passengers and nine crew members on board safely.
"The Climbers," a film dramatizing the real-life expedition of Chinese mountaineers to ascend Mount Qomolangma in 1960 and 1975, pocketed over 800 million yuan during the holiday.
The three films also eye overseas success. "My People, My Country" has been screened in multiple foreign cities including Sydney, Berlin and San Francisco.
Already in North American and U.K. theaters, "The Climbers" will also hit screen in Singapore, Australia and New Zealand on Oct. 10.
The film has been sold to more than 40 countries and regions and will be screened in over 100 North American theaters, according to the film's distributor.
