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China becomes world’s second largest film market
January 10, 2013, 9:53 pm

Audience members watch a 3D movie in China. [Getty Images]

Audience members watch a 3D movie in China. [Getty Images]

China’s box office sales have rallied to $2.74 billion in 2012, surging 30.18 per cent year on year and making the country the world’s second-largest film market.

The data was published on Wednesday by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT).

893 films were produced in China last year, including 745 feature films and 33 animated films.

“Now, China is the world’s third-largest film producer and second-biggest film market,” said Tong Gang, head of film bureau of the SARFT.

Around 52 per cent of gross ticket sales came from international cinema.

The low-budget comedy “Lost in Thailand,” which debuted on December 12, took in an unprecedented 1.2 billion yuan in less than one month, out-earning “Avatar” and “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” to become the highest-grossing film ever shown in Chinese theaters.

Source: Xinhua