#49 China's New Year box office bonanza

<p>Last year, as COVID-19 cases spiked around the world, many thought cinemas would die. China’s box office sales from the past few months tell a different story. The country’s film market broke several world records in 2021, selling roughly $1.2 billion in tickets. Although theaters in the U.S., which are the primary competitors of theaters in China, have been closed, more and more Chinese people continue to head to the movies. One of the secret weapons is the production of a “<a href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year_film' rel='noopener noreferrer' target='_blank'>Chinese New Year film</a>” for the whole family. Ye Qing, a culture reporter at CGTN, and Cheng Rui, a producer at Wanda Studios, joined Aladin to talk about the winning recipe for success at this year&apos;s box office and discuss how these films are made.</p><p>Middle Earth is made by <a href='http://bit.ly/34glLBk' rel='noopener noreferrer' target='_blank'>China Compass Productions</a>. If you have a China-themed cultural project, please get in touch!</p><p>With thanks to<strong> </strong><a href='http://www.behance.net/bgonsalves' rel='noopener noreferrer' target='_blank'>Brenden Gonsalves</a> for graphic design and <a href='http://soundcloud.com/ramon-calvo-music' rel='noopener noreferrer' target='_blank'>Sean Calvo</a> for music support.</p><p><strong>Recommendations:</strong> </p><p>The 1997 movie <a href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dream_Factory_(film)' rel='noopener noreferrer' target='_blank'><em>The Dream Factory</em></a> (甲方乙方 jiǎfāng yǐfāng).</p><p>The 2002 movie <a href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat_Choi_Spirit' rel='noopener noreferrer' target='_blank'><em>Fat Choi Spirit</em></a> (呖咕呖咕新年财 lìgū lìgū xīnnián cái).</p><p><strong>Answers to the quiz:</strong></p><p><em>Detective Chinatown 2</em> made only <a href='https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt7752454/?ref_=bo_tt_tab#tabs' rel='noopener noreferrer' target='_blank'>0.4% of its box office</a> sales outside of China.</p><p>The 1981 movie <a href='http