Graphic Design: Kou Jie/People's Daily Online

Editor's note:

"Nobody," a Chinese animated film, has become a dark horse in this summer's box office. The animation movie has grossed 1.36 billion on Aug.29,  smashing the record for Chinese-made 2D animated films, previously held by "Big Fish & Begonia," according to ticketing platform Beacon.

The film tells the story of a small pig monster that forms a grassroots pilgrimage group with three other nameless little demons. Drawing inspiration from the ancient Chinese mythology "Journey to the West," the film combines the gestural delicacy of brushwork with the authentic, evocative essence of traditional Chinese ink-wash painting.

Unlike the usual hyper-real extravaganza of mainstream 3D animation, it has a deeply entrenched, uniquely Chinese style, with modern life and ideals infused into the film, which has struck a strong chord with audiences across China.

The phenomenal growth and development of China's animation industry, which has been there for decades and created many works of art that continue to represent a vibrant part of Chinese culture today, is on full display in the success of "Nobody." The film is a visual love letter to Chinese artistic heritage from Shanghai Animation Film Studio, a famous Chinese animation studio with more than 60 years of history.

To help our readers better grasp the history and development of China's animation industry, the editors of People's Daily Online have selected a number of stunningly produced Chinese animations from the 1950s to the 2020s.

Little Carp Jumps Over the Dragon Gate (1958)

"Little Carp Jumps Over the Dragon Gate" is an animated film created by Shanghai Animation Film Studio. It is based on the Chinese folktale of carp jumping over the Dragon Gate and becoming dragons. In 1959, it was awarded the Silver Award for Animation at the First Moscow International Film Festival.

The animated film follows a group of young carps who, inspired by their grandmother's narrative of the carp leaping over the Dragon Gate, set out to find it. After enduring numerous trials, the carps arrive at a reservoir. Working together, they leap over the reservoir and are rewarded with a stunning view of the city along the river. In a subsequent scene, a swallow swooping above the reservoir informs the carp that they have actually jumped over the real Dragon Gate Reservoir, rather than the Dragon Gate in stories. The carp ask the swallow for assistance in delivering the good news of their successful jumping over the Dragon Gate Reservoir to Grandma Carp.

This animation has a great visual value and a significant educational impact, as it combines traditional Chinese art styles with the topic of the Chinese people's active efforts to develop their country at the time.

Havoc in Heaven (1961)

"Havoc in Heaven" is a 1961 Chinese animated feature film produced by Shanghai Animation Film Studio. The film received multiple honors, both domestic and foreign. The animation is an adaption of the first few chapters of the 16th-century Chinese novel "Journey to the West." The main character is Sun Wukong, also known as the Monkey King, who rebels against the Jade Emperor of Heaven.

The movie's title "Havoc in Heaven" (大鬧天宮) became a Chinese colloquialism to describe someone who makes a mess. Countless later animation adaptations have reused the famous story "Journey to the West" since then, but many consider this 1961 edition to be the most creative, original, and memorable.

The film's stylized animation and percussion score draw significantly from the traditions of Peking Opera.

Nezha Conquers the Dragon King（1979）

"Nezha Conquers the Dragon King," produced by Shanghai Animation Film Studio in 1979, was China's first large-scale, color, wide-screen feature film. It was screened outside of competition at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival and received international acclaim.

The film is based on an adaptation of a story about the warrior deity Nezha from the Chinese fantasy novel "Investiture of the Gods." The plot focuses on the fight between Nezha and the Dragon King, the Chinese god of water and weather.

Tired of being tranquil, the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas have turned cruel and destructive, wreaking havoc on the people with devastating storms and drought.

The Dragon Kings kidnap one of Nezha's friends while he is bathing in the ocean, and Nezha confronts and kills the Dragon King's son. The Dragon Kings wreak havoc on the people, bringing storms, floods, and all kinds of natural disasters. Seeing this, Nezha takes his father's blade, tells his parents that he is returning their flesh and bones, and calls out for his master before taking his own life.

With the help of his master, he is reincarnated from a lotus blossom and given new weapons and powers. After breaking into the Dragon Kings' underwater palace, he ultimately wins.

The Legend of Sealed Book (1983)

"The Legend of Sealed Book" is a 1983 Chinese animated film produced by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio. It features rigorous dubbing, a seamless blend of music, and vivid animations. The story is based on "Ping Yao Zhuan" (Pacifying the Demons' Revolt), a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) fantasy novel authored by Luo Guanzhong and Feng Menglong.

The feature animation depicts a fantastical story of how Yuan Gong, a celestial book stealer, and Dan Sheng, a boy who was born from a swan egg, work together to fight against three sneaky foxes after learning magic.

Within the film, many character designs took cues from Chinese opera. For example, the fox spirit's red-cheeked look was based on the makeup style of female roles (known as dan roles) in Peking Opera.

Lotus Lantern (1999)

"Lotus Lantern" is a Chinese animated feature film released by Shanghai Animation Film Studio in 1999. The film, based on the Chinese fairy tale The Magic Lotus Lantern, tells the story of Chen Xiang, who goes through immense hardships, seeks out a master to learn martial arts and magic, and finally defeats his uncle Erlang Shen with the help of the Lotus Lantern to rescue his mother.

The film is based on traditional Chinese mythology about a boy named Chenxiang. He was born to deity Sanshengmu and mortal Liu Yanchang. The god Erlang Shen, his maternal uncle, kills Liu Yanchang as a punishment for their marriage. Sanshengmu escapes and gives birth, but Chen Xiang grows up unaware of his ancestry.

Sanshengmu holds a powerful Lotus Lantern, whose light may ward off evil. When the mighty and stern god Erlang Shen abducts Chen Xiang, Sanshengmu battles to save him. Unfortunately, Erlang Shen wins, and Chen Xiang is forced to stay in his palace on the sacred mountains. Erlang Shen then imprisons Sanshengmu beneath a mountain.

Chen Xiang later escapes the palace and takes the magical lotus lantern that Sanshengmu lost during the battle.

After facing and overcoming challenges with numerous legendary figures from Chinese mythology, Chen Xiang grows into a brave young man who defeats Erlang Shen, saving his mother while also falling in love.

Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf (2005)

The cartoon became enormously popular with Chinese schoolchildren after its debut in 2005. The story centers on a group of goats living in Goat Village of Green Green Grassland. Weslie, one of the main characters, is a goat who wears a blue ribbon with a bell around his neck. Smart and optimistic, he always comes up with good ideas to help others and save the goats from getting eaten by Wolffy.

One of the most successful Chinese animated television series, the show has been broadcast on over 75 cable and satellite television stations in China. It has also been aired in more than 100 countries and regions including India, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia and North America.

The first spinoff movie from the cartoon series, titled "Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf - The Super Adventure," hit cinemas in China in 2009. Well-received by audiences, the film earned more than 80 million yuan at the box office.

Ne Zha (2019)

Directed by Yang Yu, also known as Jiao Zi, the 2019 film "Ne Zha" grossed 5 billion yuan and topped the Chinese box office that year. The film's roots run deep in Chinese mythology, continuing the story of the boy warrior deity Nezha as he and his ally Aobing struggle to rebuild their physical forms. With the help of the immortal Taiyi Zhenren, they navigate a journey of self-discovery, fate, and defiance.

In 2025 "Ne Zha 2," the sequel of the 2019 animation film, has surpassed "Disney's Star Wars: The Force Awakens" to secure the fifth spot on the all-time global box office charts after crossing 15.1 billion yuan in total earnings, according to data from ticketing platform Maoyan.

In comparison to "Ne Zha," which featured 1,864 shots and 1,400 special effects shots, the sequel "Ne Zha 2" boasts a significant increase in scale. The second film includes 2,427 shots with 1,948 of them dedicated to special effects, marking a notable leap in visual complexity.