China saw robust growth in its commercial performance market in the first half of the year, with the movie sector also booming during the summer period, according to industry data.

Box office revenue of the commercial performance market exceeded 19.01 billion yuan (approximately 2.62 billion U.S. dollars) in the first half of the year, reflecting a 13.24 percent year-on-year increase, according to the China Association of Performing Arts. This robust growth highlights the strength of the market.

According to the association, 251,700 commercial performances (excluding those in entertainment venues) were staged nationwide during this period, up by 30.19 percent year over year. These performances attracted over 79.10 million audience members, marking a growth of 27.10 percent compared to the previous year.

In the first six months, the number of performances by large and medium-sized tourism projects nationwide increased by 26.37 percent compared to the previous year, as reported by the association.

China's box office revenue for the summer movie season, which runs from June 1 to August 31, reached 3.5 billion yuan (approximately 482.76 million U.S. dollars) as of 14:55 on Friday.

Domestic crime thriller 'A Place Called Silence,' family drama 'Moments We Shared,' and imported animated comedy 'Inside Out 2' ranked among the top three on the charts.

"I wanted to unwind during the summer vacation, so I selected a highly rated movie online, hoping to find something that resonate with me in the storyline," said moviegoer Tang Hao.

This summer, domestic cinemas have adjusted their schedules in response to changes in peak hours and public preferences.

"During the summer vacation, many types of movies are being released, among which comedy and romantic movies are the most popular. Compared to regular weekends, the number of moviegoers during the summer vacation has more than doubled," said Wang Zhixia, a cinema staff member in Fuzhou City, east China's Jiangxi Province.

"Throughout the entire period, we will also make corresponding schedule adjustments based on customers' preferences. For example, for children's films, we started with 5 to 10 percent of the screenings, but now the proportion has reached about 20 percent," said Ke Yijia, a local cinema manager.