BEIJING, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- China's 2026 summer movie season closed Monday with total box office revenue at nearly 12.5 billion yuan (1.84 billion U.S. dollars), up slightly from about 12 billion yuan a year earlier, marking a second consecutive year of growth for the June-August window, according to data from the China Film Administration.

Spectators line up for ticket check next to a poster of the film "Once Upon a Time in the Middle East" at a cinema in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Aug. 24, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)

Admissions rose to about 340 million, increasing from 321 million in 2025 and 284 million in 2024.

While these figures still fall well short of the 2023 summer season's record of 20.6 billion yuan in revenue and 504 million admissions, industry observers view the quality and diversity of this year's film slate as a bright spot after several sluggish seasons.