Audiences buy popcorn and drinks at a cinema in Yubei District of Chongqing, southwest China, July 30, 2023. (Photo/Chu Jiayin, Xinhua)

Beijing - China's box office kicked off 2024 with a record high revenue of approximately 1.53 billion yuan (around 216 million U.S. dollars) for the three-day New Year's Day holiday that ended on Monday.

This figure surpassed the previous highest earnings of 1.30 billion yuan recorded in 2021, according to film data platforms Maoyan and Beacon.

Leading the charts for the 2024 New Year's Day holiday was romantic fantasy "Shining for One Thing," which generated 608 million yuan, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the total.

Comedy "Johnny Keep Walking!" and crime actioner "The Goldfinger" secured the second and third places, respectively, with earnings of around 234 million yuan and 220 million yuan.