Golden year for Chinese cinema

China's box-office totals shone brighter than ever in 2014. Wang Kaihao reports.

This year was by many measures the best yet for Chinese cinema, although obstacles are expected alongside opportunities in 2015, insiders say.

Already, 2014 marks the most profitable year for the country's box office, which totaled 25.9 billion yuan ($4.2 billion) by mid-November, compared to 21.7 billion in 2013. Experts expect it to surpass 30 billion yuan by Dec 31, after such domestic blockbusters as The Crossing: Part 1, Gone With The Bullets and The Taking Of Tiger Mountain hit screens this month.