Holiday boosts box office with revenue, audiences

Boosted by demand for holiday entertainment, China's box office saw a surge in moviegoers during the three-day Dragon Boat Festival, which coincided with International Children's Day.

Thirteen new movies were released to compete in the lucrative market, driving the holiday box office to 457 million yuan ($63.4 million), surpassing the 383 million yuan earned during the same period last year, according to showbiz information tracker Maoyan Pro.

Topping the festival charts was Hollywood star Tom Cruise's latest action outing, Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning, the eighth installment in the 30-year-old franchise — one of the world's most iconic superspy series, deeply etched in the minds of a generation of Chinese moviegoers. With screenings on more than 25 percent of domestic cinema screens, the film grossed 228 million yuan, accounting for 50 percent of the national box office during the holiday period.