BEIJING - China's box office sales totaled 10.99 billion yuan ($1.79 billion) in the first half of 2013, up 36.2 percent year on year, amid a surge in ticket sales for domestic films.

Ticket sales for Chinese films increased 144 percent to 6.85 billion yuan, while imported films posted 4.14 billion yuan in sales, down 21.3 percent year on year, according to data published Wednesday by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.

With box office sales of 1.25 billion yuan by the end of June, the period adventure comedy "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons" topped China's box office in the first half, followed by "Iron Man 3" at 755 million yuan and "So Young" at 719 million yuan.

Of the top ten highest-grossing films, four were domestic, accounting for 54.4 percent of total revenues in the first half.