Top 10 Chinese Cartoons of All Time (Part 2)

Last week, we did a run-down of the first five of our top 10 Chinese cartoons of all time. We finish off the list today with more animated classics that have captured the imaginations of generations of children and adults alike.

 

In the depths of winter, a mother rabbit goes out to look for food and builds a snowman to accompany her young child. The child and the snow kid soon became good friends. When the young rabbit falls asleep and accidentally leaves the house on fire, the snowman runs into the burning house and saves the young rabbit, sacrificing himself in the process. This touching cartoon made by Shanghai Animation Film Studio has influenced countless Chinese children.Watch it here.

 

The film is a classic animation issued by the Ministry of Culture and based on an episode from the Chinese mythological novel Fengshen Yanyi (The Honor of Chinese Gods, 封神演义). In this tale, the emperor’s wife gives birth to a mysterious ball, shaped like a lotus bud. Before the outraged father chops the ball with his sword, a little boy Nezha springs out and is given special powers which later help him to battle the five dragon kings terrorizing the country. Watch it here.

 

The cartoon is based on the earliest chapters of the novel Journey to the West. The story is about Sun Wukong, aka the Monkey King, who wreaks havoc in the heavens and rebels against the Jade Emperor. The cartoon was so popular in the 1960s that the name of the movie, Danao Tiangong, became an idiom in the Chinese language to describe someone making a big mess. The film won several awards including the Outstanding Film Award at the 1978 International London Film Festival. Watch it here.

 

The main character Pigsy (Zhu Bajie) is also from the literary classic Journey to the West. On a hot summer day Pigsy finds a big watermelon and eats it all without leaving any for his master, Tangseng, and his brothers. Monkey Sun Wukong plays a trick on him and makes him slip on the watermelon rinds. Have a look here to understand why pigs are often associated with greed in Chinese culture.

 

Princess Iron Fan is considered as the first Chinese animated feature film. The story is also based on an episode Journey to the West. The cartoon is about the fight between Monkey Wukong and a vengeful princess. To get the princess‘ magic fan (which is desperately needed to quench the flames surrounding a village) the monkey turns himself into an insect and flies into her stomach, forcing her to lend it. Watch it here.

 

Also read:  Top 10 Chinese Cartoons of All Time (Part 1)