"Aftershock," a movie about the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, has grossed over 160 million yuan (23.5 million U.S.dollars) at the Chinese box office since its opening on July 22, the State Administration of Radio Film and Television (SARFT) said Monday.

The figure does not include the movie's earnings from IMAX screenings.It's the first Chinese movie to be screened in IMAX.

The movie earned more than 100 million yuan within three days of its release, breaking the Chinese box office record previously held by "The Founding of a Republic."

"The Founding of a Republic," which earned a total box office of 420 million yuan, took three and a half days to earn 100 million when it was released in September 2009.

"Aftershock" set its first box office record on its release day when it earned 36.2 million yuan - the highest box office ever for a local movie on its opening day.

The movie's director, Feng Xiaogang, one of China's most successful commercial directors, said Monday in an interview with Xinhua that the movie's box office is close to what he had expected and that there was "no big problem" for it grossing between 350 and 400 million yuan over the next two weeks.

As to whether the movie's box office will reach 500 million yuan -- a mark no Chinese movie has ever achieved -- Feng said it would depend on whether the movie can attract another three to four million viewers 20 days after its release.

Satisfied with the box office result so far, Feng said the movie's sustainability at the box office would be "no doubt" stronger than his popular romantic comedy "If You Are the One," which earned about 350 million yuan.

"Aftershock" is about a mother's three-decade journey leading to an emotional reunion with the daughter she thought she had lost in the earthquake. The Tangshan earthquake left more than 240,000 dead.

A survey on Sina.com, one of China's major news portals, shows nearly half of the 20,015 people surveyed said the movie was "very good and surpassed expectations."

About one quarter of those surveyed said the great performances of the movie's cast moved them the most.

In a popular movie theater in central Beijing, most of the audience in one screening of the movie were moved to tears, as their weeping could be heard from time to time throughout the movie.

Also there was laughter during the movie's screening, especially when advertisements were inserted into the story line of the movie and given close-up shots.

The advertisements include those for a luxury car company, an insurance company, a large state-owned bank, a sports wear company, and a Chinese wine maker.

Fifteen minutes of the movie's total length of two and a half hours were for these advertisements, which have drawn criticism from the media as well as the public.

In an interview with Xinhua on Monday, Zhang Hongsen, vice director of the SARFT film department said advertisements placed in movies were necessary for film makers to make profits, as piracy poses a threat to their revenues.

He said a tougher crackdown on piracy was essential to solving the problem of such advertisements placed into movies.