The Hollywood blockbuster 'Kung Fu Panda' has broken box office records for animated films in China, raking in 135 million yuan (19.6 million dollars) in its first three weeks, state press said on Tuesday.
The film is the first cartoon feature in China to surpass 100 million yuan in box office receipts, the Beijing News said, citing distributor Huaxia.
The comedy portrays a bumbling panda who goes on to become a martial arts star.
Although Chinese critics have praised the film for its story-line and animation, its producer DreamWorks has been criticised for seeking to cash in on China's national treasure, the panda bear.
After its release last month, a short-lived and nationalistic attempt to boycott the film was quickly overwhelmed by positive reviews of the movie.
The release of the film was also postponed in southwest China -- devastated by an 8.0-magnitude earthquake -- to "appease survivors" of the disaster in Sichuan province where many of the world's pandas live, state press said.
The film has also resulted in soul-searching in China's film industry over why domestic movie-makers cannot produce equally entertaining works.
"I cannot help wondering when China will be able to produce a movie of this calibre," the China Daily on Saturday quoted film director Lu Chuan as saying.
Lu said the film was a fresh take on Chinese culture and mixed martial arts films with classic legends.
Lu also took a swipe at government censors who stifle the creativity of film makers by constantly micro-managing how movies should be made, the paper said.