China's February box office sales have overtaken sales in the same month of 2019, marking the highest-grossing month the country has ever seen.

 

Monthly ticket sales had topped 11.2 billion yuan (about 1.73 billion U.S. dollars) by early evening on Wednesday, surpassing the previous monthly record of 11.16 billion yuan for February two years ago.

 

The seven domestic titles that hit theaters on Spring Festival day, which was celebrated on Feb. 12 this year and marked the Chinese Lunar New Year, contributed about 95 percent of total earnings, according to figures from the China Movie Data Information Network.

 

"Hi, Mom," the maiden directorial project of Chinese comedian-actress Jia Ling, led February's box office chart with a revenue of 4.36 billion yuan.

 

"Detective Chinatown 3," the latest installment in China's well-received "Detective Chinatown" comedy film franchise, placed second with 4.13 billion yuan.

 

Tuesday saw "Hi, Mom" surpass 4.25 billion yuan, the total generated by the 2019 U.S. superhero film "Avengers: Endgame," climbing one notch to rank fourth on the all-time ticket sales chart covering all films ever screened in China.

 

The comedy stars Jia as a devoted daughter who, deeply saddened by her mother's accidental death, finds herself transported back to 1981, where she meets her mother and attempts to improve her fate using ideas from the future.