Animation

Recently, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, the 17th China International Cartoon & Animation Festival, a grandma dressed in a Chinese hanfu costume made a stunning appearance. It attracts many eyes. The "Hanfu grandma" named Liu Weixiu (刘维秀), has 77 years old. At first, the grandma just cooperated with her students to shoot a set of videos in hanfu, but to her surprise, the video was released and received many likes from netizens. The grandma created a social account to record her life, and with her outstanding hanfu look, she gained many fans! "Beauty lasts forever.", in the social media comments of the Hanfu grandma, you can often see such a message from netizens. In fact, this is very closely related to the grandma's youth is a Beijing opera actress, she began to study Beijing opera at the age of 13, 19 years old into the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts to further study, decades of Beijing opera skills make the grandma's gestures, gesticulates, and moves with the classical grace. After Grandma retired, the costumes were put into the depths of her closet, but the hanfu not only gave her back the feeling of performing on stage, but also gave her a…

In the minds of most people, Chinese monsters are usually associated with various strange and supernatural creatures in novels and stories. For example, the monster featured in the first episode of "Yao-Chinese Folktales" titled "Nobody" is from the famous novel "Journey to the West". The inspiration for the second episode's story titled "Goose Mountain" comes from a Southern Dynasty supernatural novel called "Yang Xian Shu Sheng". The animation depicts scenes of monsters devouring each other, creating a creepy atmosphere that vividly portrays an imaginative interpretation of “Chinese monsters” and “Chinese aesthetics”. These ancient Chinese monsters or rather Chinese demons have been passed down for thousands of years; therefore more excellent works like "Yao-Chinese Folktales" are needed to celebrate their unique charm. The textual records of monster images date back to the pre-Qin period, with a history spanning more than two thousand years. The "Shanhaijing (山海经, Classic of Mountains and Seas)" is the pioneer in this field and also known as the ancestor of ancient and modern strange stories. The original version of "Shanhaijing" was illustrated; however, those ancient illustrations were lost during Han dynasty, leaving only Ming-Qing engraved illustrations for us to reference. Artist Ren Caifeng attempts to discover an…

Disney princesses also love the ancient style; Queen Elsa is draped in white, but what does Snow White wear? In an ancient-style version of Disney princesses, many ladies put on Hanfu. Many of these outfits' names I can't recall exactly, but they all look particularly beautiful. Belle from "Beauty and the Beast" is a book-loving lady in the animation, and when she wears Hanfu and holds a book, she truly resembles those book-loving ladies in "Dream of the Red Chamber." Queen Elsa... In modern times, more and more people are beginning to engage with the ancient style community, and we yearn for the carefree lives of our ancestors. Every man must have had dreams of wearing white robes and crossing rivers by boat. Thus, many people start researching ancient clothing styles. Although such attire is not suitable for daily wear, it's still great as a hobby to occasionally dress up. Sometimes, while walking down the street, we often encounter ladies dressed in Hanfu or other ancient styles. The protagonist of today's story is a little Hanfu girl, who is very cute, and many netizens came to watch her video. She is dressed in a long white skirt, looking very pure…

At the 16th China International Cartoon and Animation Festival, the gathering of traditional Chinese clothing "Hanfu" becomes a beautiful scenery. CGTN reporter: Guo Meiping will take this opportunity to have the first experience of this gorgeous clothing. She also asked an industry expert: Huang Qiaoen - Founder of the Hanfu brand "Yuanshangiao" in advance to help her with the Hanfu experience at the"Chinese-style pavilion". Huang Qiaoen helped Guo choose the right Hanfu: "You are pretty tall, so a Hanfu in Ming Dynasty style probably suits you. Also, today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, so the outfit I'm recommending, exudes elements of this holiday." Guo asks: "What is the story behind the outfit I'm wearing?""The outfit you are wearing is called 'Moon shining on the lake'. It's specifically designed for the Mid-Autumn Festival. You can find a lot of autumn elements on it." Huang starts to introduce this Ming-style Hanfu in detail. "The long gown you wear inside has a stand-up collar and surplice. The cloak is in the Ming Dynasty style and has a full moon at the back. There are also elements of chrysanthemum and Jade Rabbit, implying full happiness. We also added some cuter modern elements to the traditional…

Fairy tales are our sweetest childhood memories. “What is your favorite fairy tale role”? When I was a child, I always dreamed of dancing with Cinderella, joining the army with Mulan, and singing with snow-white in the jungle. I also like to imitate their make-up. The princesses not only have their own personalities and stories but also have their own characteristics in dressing up. They are so beautiful that people can envy them! However, have you ever thought about what Disney Princesses will look like when they wear traditional clothes from other countries? 1. Japanese Style Elsa and Anna sisters in Frozen are classical and beautiful after wearing traditional Japanese clothes. Cinderella, compared with the image in the fairy tale, is more plump, feeling particularly soft. Although changing a style, the color matching of Snow White’s dress is still very similar to that in animation. The little mermaid, Ariel, not only has the painting style of Japanese Geisha but also looks like the beautiful image of the Tang Dynasty in China. 2. Korean literary style Nayoung Wooh, a Korean illustrator, puts on Korean traditional clothes for the Disney Princesses in fairy tales. For example, in the picture below, can you…

The animated historical film "Chang An," produced by Light Chaser Animation Studios and directed by Xie Junwei and Zou Jing, was released on July 8, 2023. Set against the backdrop of the prosperous Tang Dynasty, the film depicts the chaos that engulfed Chang'an after the An Lushan Rebellion. In this tumultuous time, Gao Shi reminisces about his past with Li Bai. What makes this film remarkable is not only its portrayal of a realistic and captivating Li Bai but also its presentation of the poignant stories between Li Bai and Gao Shi throughout their lives. It showcases their encounters with other prominent figures of the Tang Dynasty such as Du Fu and Wang Wei, capturing the splendorous era they lived in and showcasing the infinite charm of poetry and culture. Recently sparked heated discussions among netizens after its release. The film showcases the charm of Eastern aesthetics, allowing viewers to travel through time and experience the splendorous Tang Dynasty. In addition to the essence of Tang style emanating from poetry, the intricate motifs on the characters' costumes in the film also reveal the beauty of lines within China's long historical river. Patterns, simply put, refer to decorative designs. Ancient people drew…

How popular is Chinese Hanfu? It is reported that the total market size of the Hanfu industry is estimated to reach 1.09 billion yuan. ▲ on December 22, 2019, Hanfu lovers are performing dance. Even the foreign media have paid attention to Chinese Hanfu. According to CNN, Chinese Hanfu culture has become a new trend among Chinese young people. More and more young people put on Hanfu and go to the streets to show people Hanfu culture. AFP also said that in modern China, Hanfu fans are in all fields: from history fans to animation fans, to students and even young professionals. According to Russia's satellite news agency, Chinese Hanfu culture has spread to other countries for a long time. Mysterious patterns and silk have attracted people's attention. Now, this culture has returned again. With the increase of cultural exchanges between China and the west, more Chinese art forms and traditional culture have gradually entered the international field of vision. Some elements of Hanfu have also sought after. Indeed, integrating Chinese elements into fashion is a common design method of international brands in recent years. According to Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao, Chinese elements can be seen everywhere. In addition to the details…

If we were to identify some highlights in the 2023 Chinese film market, undoubtedly, the summer release of "Chang An" shone brightly among them. Following the success of the blockbuster "Chang An," the next eagerly anticipated work from Light Chaser Animation Studios is the third installment of the Bai She (White Snake) series, titled "Bai She 3: Fusheng." The film has already locked in the Qixi Festival (August 10, 2024) slot six months in advance. When it comes to the realm of adult-oriented animated films, Light Chaser stands alone as the only series to persist into its third installment, there is no doubt that "Bai She 3: Fusheng" is highly anticipated. Meticulously considered release date After undergoing the trials of the first two installments, the White Snake series from Light Chaser Animation Studios has firmly established its presence. Not only has it achieved excellent market performance, but it has also become a representative work of contemporary Eastern aesthetics. After a three-year hiatus, the third installment of the series has finally surfaced and become the first film this year to secure the coveted summer and Qixi Festival slots. The audacity to seize the prime time slot six months in advance speaks…

Have you ever heard of that trivia tidbit where it's like "the Chinese were so impressed by Kung Fu Panda that they held meetings to figure out why they couldn't produce something as good as it with their own culture"? Well, it's true. That did happen. And the answer is probably a combination of a lack of financial and cultural support for artists, government censorship of storytelling, and animation not being taken seriously as an artform. But what did Kung Fu Panda do that was so right? What influences did it take from Chinese culture? I'm gonna try and figure that out. I'll talk about my opinion on whether it matters that this movie was made by white people when Chinese audiences liked it so much. So let's start! Wuxia Jianghu Dream To begin with, these mountains in the opening immediately reminded me of Huangshan, or the Yellow Mountains. It's a pretty famous mountain range in China with a lot of these jagged stony peaks and clouds surrounding them. The Kung Fu Panda artbook confirms that the Valley of Peace is inspired by the Yellow Mountains and the Li River Valley, another place famous for being really, really pretty. And…