Although Japanese animation manages to be the focus, China has produced some very original and spectacular films throughout the years. It is usually movies that play this role to help out in spreading the word about how awesome Chinese animations are. Though the Chinese animation industry, also called Donghua, rose to fame slowly, it is now the world's third-largest animation industry and is on the rise. China aims to deliver more to the world in its animation industry, and the Chinese animation industry has a great deal of growth potential.
Listed below are the Top 10 popular animated Chinese movies.
1. Uproar In Heaven
Uproar in heaven is a Chinese animated movie produced by the Shanghai Animation film studio created during a golden age. It is an adaptation of the Chinese legend movie Journey to the West. Throughout the movie, Sun Wukong goes through numerous incidents, from his birth, from a stone to his revolt against heaven. In 1978 at London international film festival, the film received an outstanding film award and domestic awards. Uproar in heaven had re-released in 2004 in DVD format and Blue-ray format in 2012.
2. Monkey King: Hero Is Back (2015)
A movie directed by Tian Xiaopeng, Monkey King: Hero Is Back, has become China's highest-grossing animated film. It is an adaptation of the movie Journey to the West. God held Monkey King (Sun Wukong) captive in an ice age, and he spent five hundred years there. The movie won the Best Animated Film awards and earned above 956 million RBM at the box office.
3. The Legend Of Hei (2019)
Director Zhang Ping directed the Chinese animation film The Legend of Hei. After the bulldozers of the spirit world destroyed his forest home, Luo Xiao-Hei, a cat demon, wandered into a life that lived happily among the people of humanity. The movie took around four years to make and earned 313 million RMB.
4. White Snake (2019)
Warner Bros and Light Chaser Animation together produced the movie White Snake. The film has garnered so much attention for its artistic visuals and animation and has surpassed 450 million RMB at the box office. Based on the Chinese folktale Legend of the White Snake, the movie introduces a new character, A Xuan, a snake-catcher and supposed to be the previous rebirth of Xu Xian, the white snake lover. The White Snake believes she is human and finds evidence which reveals her identity while slowly pursuing a relationship with him.
5. Ne Zha (2019)
Ne Zha is the first 3D animated movie distributed in IMAX theaters in China, making its first such release. It was a hugely successful film and earned over 4.9 billion RMB at the box office. The film features the popular Chinese mythological character Ne Zha (birth of the demon child). Ne Zha is the second-highest-grossing non-American animated film in the world in sales after Wolf Warrior 2. During the movie, Ne Zha is shown reborn from a lotus flower, and the villagers are scared of him since he possesses supernatural powers.
6. Jiang Ziya/ Legend Of Deification (2020)
Jiang Ziya is another movie that draws inspiration from The Investiture of the God. The film came out on 1st October 2021. In the Chinese mythology series, Jiang Ziya is the sequel to Nezha: The Demon's Rebirth. Adapted from the legends of the famous Chinese folktale, Fengshen Yanyi, the movie showcases an exoteric mythological character called Jiang Ziya, a god of compassion. The story touches on different significant traditions and faith among Chinese people.
7. Big Fish And Begonia (2016)
This Chinese Animated movie was released on 8th July 2016. It was written, produced, and directed by Liang Xuan and Zhang Chun. This movie revolves around the adventurous story of a girl, Chun, who transforms into a dolphin and later forms a bond with a boy. Critics and viewers appreciated this animated movie, which also voted as the Most Anticipated Animated Film.
8. Princess Iron Fan (1966)
Adapted loosely from the famous Chinese epic Journey to the West, the first animated film, Princess Iron Fan, reflects the first meeting of Sun Wukong and Princess Iron Fan. Disney and Fleischer cartoon influences come into play in this animated tale, which focuses on the Monkey King duels the princess for her magic fan to obtain it. This Chinese animated film is known to have a source of inspiration for Osamu Tezuka and has a significant impact on Japanese anime overseas.
9. The King’s Avatar: For The Glory (2019)
It was The King's Avatar series that introduced a lot of us to Chinese animation. That is why many donghua (Chinese animation) fans know the series and also why you should not miss The King's Avatar: For The Glory. It is a prequel to the story that took place eight years before the series begins. The series feels nostalgic for its viewers as they see most of the main characters in their younger years, just starting as pro players without realizing they would be famous in the future. The release date was 16th August 2019.
10. The Wind Guardians (2018)
In Xiaoyanggang, a young man fantasizes about martyrdom, but since he is blind, he can only swindle into the market by sneaking in. Xiaoyanggang was attacked by Rakshasa one day, and his mother, who depended on him, vanished. Lang Ming began his voyage in search of the truth. Ancient gods and beasts are in peril following a wave of unrest, and the legendarily brave knights also appear in front of them. Lang Ming sets out on a journey of discovery that changes his life forever. The Wind Guardians received positive reviews.
