Once again, the nine-day Spring Festival holiday has proved to be the perfect time for audiences to fully immerse themselves in cinematic dream worlds.

　　According to the China Film Administration, the industry's top regulator, box-office revenue generated between Feb 15 and 23 reached 5.75 billion yuan ($834 million), with 120 million tickets sold across more than 4.35 million screenings — the highest figures ever recorded during the Spring Festival period.

　　Pegasus 3, the car racing sequel that sees Shen Teng reprise his role as legendary driver Zhang Chi, topped the holiday box office with a stunning 2.9 billion yuan.

A scene from Scare Out. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] 

　　Iconic director Zhang Yimou's Scare Out, which follows national security forces working to crack down on spies, secured second place with 867 million yuan.

　　Blades of the Guardians, marking action star Jet Li's return to the martial arts genre after a 15-year hiatus since the 2011 film Flying Swords of Dragon Gate, ranked third with 806 million yuan.

　　Close behind in fourth place was the animated sequel Boonie Bears: The Hidden Protector, which reunites the sibling bears and their human friend Vick to stop a new threat that could affect all humankind.

　　Lai Li, a market analyst with Maoyan, said consumption potential in lower-tier markets continued to grow, with nearly 60 percent of the holiday box-office revenue coming from third- and fourth-tier cities — highlighting the solid foundation and resilience of China's film industry.

Blades of the Guardians features actress Chen Lijun. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]