Love blossoms on Chinese screens on day for lovers

It is calculated that the Lantern Festival on China's lunar calendar falls on Valentine's Day once every 19 years. And as if to double the bliss, box-office revenues for the country's cinemas exploded into rosy fireworks.

On Feb14, total receipts for the mainland market, according to data released by Ent Group, an industry analysis firm, added up to 215.48 million yuan ($35.48 million) and attendance reached 5.31 million people, setting both records for that day.

Headlining the holiday lineup is Beijing Love Story, a romantic comedy written and directed by Chen Sicheng. Like Xu Zheng of Lost in Thailand, Chen is an actor who has just dipped in the waters of behind-the-camera filmmaking. Raking in 102 million yuan on the first full day of release, it sent a strong signal that film stars can double as film directors with serious earning power. To be fair, both movies rely more on their story-telling skill than pure star wattage.