International Animation Day: The Evolution of Animation in China
In honor of International Animation Day on October 28, we invite you to embark on a nostalgic journey through the animated classics of China and explore the incredible evolution of Chinese animation.
TroibNews 
On October 28, 1892, Emile Reynaud made history by publicly screening the first animated film at the Grevin Museum in Paris. In honor of this pioneering event, the International Animated Film Association designated October 28 as International Animation Day to celebrate the advent of animation.
In 1922, the Wan brothers created the first animated advertisement in China, titled "Shu Zhen Dong Chinese Typewriter," which marked the beginning of a century-long tradition of Chinese animation. By the mid-20th century, significant animation production centers, such as Shanghai Animation Film Studio, were delivering numerous classic domestic animated films that embraced the creative principle of exploring the national style.
Recently, animated films like "Monkey King: Hero is Back," "Big Fish & Begonia," "White Snake," and "Ne Zha" have successfully blended traditional Chinese aesthetics with modern storytelling, garnering both critical praise and commercial success due to their outstanding production quality. In 2023, films such as "Chang'an" and "Boonie Bears: Guardian Code" each surpassed 1 billion yuan at the box office. Through a firm connection to Chinese culture and national artistry, Chinese animation effectively promotes the fine traditions of its heritage while embodying core aspects of Chinese aesthetics.
The 14th China International Animation Copyright Fair, held from October 24 to 27 in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, served as a platform for the Chinese film and animation sector to connect with the global market. The theme for this year's fair was "Global Animation Trends of the Future," drawing participation from over 500 companies and institutions across 60 countries and regions, showcasing more than 1,500 intellectual properties. The event emphasized new content, technologies, and business models relevant to both domestic and international film and animation industries.
An "Animation Technology Equipment Exhibition" was included in the fair, presenting state-of-the-art technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, generative AI, and bare-eye 3D interaction. Attendees experienced innovative approaches to engage with animation in the virtual realm, illustrating the emerging synergy between animation and various other industries.
As technology swiftly evolves, the animation sector and its related fields are poised to embrace new opportunities. In February 2024, China Media Group launched China's first AI-generated animated series, "Poems of Timeless Acclaim."
Drawing from a rich repository of Chinese audio-visual resources provided by CMG, "Poems of Timeless Acclaim" utilizes cutting-edge technologies like controllable image generation, dynamic character creation, and text-to-video synthesis.
Historically, producing a series of this nature would have taken at least eight months with the same budget. Nevertheless, thanks to China's independent AIGC technology and CMG's extensive audio-visual library, the production timeline was dramatically shortened to four months. This marks a significant leap in production efficiency.
Ramin Sohrabi for TROIB News
In 1922, the Wan brothers created the first animated advertisement in China, titled "Shu Zhen Dong Chinese Typewriter," which marked the beginning of a century-long tradition of Chinese animation. By the mid-20th century, significant animation production centers, such as Shanghai Animation Film Studio, were delivering numerous classic domestic animated films that embraced the creative principle of exploring the national style.
Recently, animated films like "Monkey King: Hero is Back," "Big Fish & Begonia," "White Snake," and "Ne Zha" have successfully blended traditional Chinese aesthetics with modern storytelling, garnering both critical praise and commercial success due to their outstanding production quality. In 2023, films such as "Chang'an" and "Boonie Bears: Guardian Code" each surpassed 1 billion yuan at the box office. Through a firm connection to Chinese culture and national artistry, Chinese animation effectively promotes the fine traditions of its heritage while embodying core aspects of Chinese aesthetics.
The 14th China International Animation Copyright Fair, held from October 24 to 27 in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, served as a platform for the Chinese film and animation sector to connect with the global market. The theme for this year's fair was "Global Animation Trends of the Future," drawing participation from over 500 companies and institutions across 60 countries and regions, showcasing more than 1,500 intellectual properties. The event emphasized new content, technologies, and business models relevant to both domestic and international film and animation industries.
An "Animation Technology Equipment Exhibition" was included in the fair, presenting state-of-the-art technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, generative AI, and bare-eye 3D interaction. Attendees experienced innovative approaches to engage with animation in the virtual realm, illustrating the emerging synergy between animation and various other industries.
As technology swiftly evolves, the animation sector and its related fields are poised to embrace new opportunities. In February 2024, China Media Group launched China's first AI-generated animated series, "Poems of Timeless Acclaim."
Drawing from a rich repository of Chinese audio-visual resources provided by CMG, "Poems of Timeless Acclaim" utilizes cutting-edge technologies like controllable image generation, dynamic character creation, and text-to-video synthesis.
Historically, producing a series of this nature would have taken at least eight months with the same budget. Nevertheless, thanks to China's independent AIGC technology and CMG's extensive audio-visual library, the production timeline was dramatically shortened to four months. This marks a significant leap in production efficiency.
Ramin Sohrabi for TROIB News
