Shanghai Animation Film Studio Anime
Zhongguo Qitan 2
Yao-Chinese Folktales 2 is a collection of nine animated shorts brought to life by twelve visionary directors. Building on Chinese imaginative storytelling, it explores diverse themes and artistic styles, blending fantasy, folklore, and allegory with reflections on real life. The shorts invite audiences to ponder self-identity, family relationships, and social connections, offering both visual richness and thoughtful insight into contemporary human experiences.
(Source: Bilibili YouTube Channel)
Mu Di
The story is about a relationship between a cow herding boy with an extraordinary flute playing ability and his buffalo companion. The boy dreams that he loses the buffalo, and when the buffalo won't move from his hiding place, the boy uses a flute melody to bring him back.
(Source: Wikipedia)
Bao Liang Deng
The story is based on the traditional Chinese folklore about a boy named Chenxiang. His mother is a goddess and his father is a mortal. His uncle Erlang Shen, punishes them by killing the father. The mother escapes and gives birth, but the little boy grows up without knowledge of his ancestry. His mother possesses a magical Lotus Lantern whose light can scare away evil. When his uncle, a strict and powerful god, kidnaps Chenxiang, his mother fights to save her son.
Unfortunately, his uncle is victorious and Chenxiang is forced to live in his palace on the sacred mountains. Erlang Shen then imprisons his sister beneath a mountain for her crimes. Although he is quite young, Chenxiang manages to escape from the palace, taking the magical lotus lantern that his mother lost during the battle.
After surviving adventures with many beloved characters of Chinese mythology, Chenxiang finally matures into a courageous boy who must battle his uncle to win his mother's freedom and fall in love at the same time.
(Source: Wikipedia)
Tang Lang Bu Chan
A cicada is resting high on a tree. It is chirping for all it’s worth and drinking in the dew, oblivious of a mantis behind. The mantis, bending over and arching up its front leg, is going to catch the cicada but does not know that there is an oriole beside it. The bird has stretched out its neck, ready to peck at the mantis. Again the oriole is unaware that a weasel is sneaking up to it. The three creatures all covet gains ahead without being aware of an imminent danger behind.
This short film was produced by Shanghai Animation Film Studio using Chinese ink wash painting technique. It is based on the ancient Chinese fable "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind".
(Source: AniList.co)
Bushe zhi She
Ji Chang is an excellent archer that strives to be the best in the world. He looks for a certain man that is capable of shooting a leaf from a distance. He decides to make this man his master. He visits his master occasionally over the years for training. He eventually masters the techniques of the bow and decides to head out for the mountains in search of an old man with supernatural abilities.
(Source: MAL)
Jizhi de Shanyang
A puppet stop motion animation adapted from a Chinese folk tale about a witty goat who hides in a cave from a tiger. The goat lies to the tiger that it is the king of the mountain and eats tigers, scaring the tiger off. The tiger meets a fox at the bottom of the mountain and tells the fox what happened. The fox laughs and says that the tiger had been tricked by a goat.
Kuakou de Qingwa
The story is about a proud frog who likes to boast. The frog competes with other animals and boasts about being the best at different things—even flying.
Danao Tiangong
Uproar in Heaven, also known as Havoc in Heaven, is a Chinese animated feature film directed by Wan Laiming and produced by all four of the Wan brothers. The film was created at the height of the Chinese animation industry in the 1960s, and received numerous awards. It earned the brothers domestic and international recognition.
The story is based on the earliest chapters of the classic story Journey to the West. The main character is Sun Wukong, aka the Monkey King, who rebels against the Jade Emperor of heaven.
It became one of the most influential films in all of Asia, animation or not. Countless cartoon adaptations that followed have reused the same classic story Journey to the West, yet many consider this 1964 iteration to be the most original, fitting and memorable.
(Source: Wikipedia)
Hao Pengyou
Ducklings become good friends with a group of chicken, and they experience adventures together that show them the value of friendship.
(Source: douban.com)
Shanshui Qing
The only noises you can hear are the sounds of water and wind. The story shows us a young girl and an elderly man. She cares about him and in a return, he gives her guqin lessons.
Xue Haizi
During the Winter season, mother rabbit has to go out, but she is afraid of leaving her son home alone. Her rabbit son decides to make a friend out of the snow to keep him company.
Xiexie Xiaohua Mao
The story is about a chicken brother and a chicken sister-in-law who live in a village, and a small cat who is the village watchman. Brother Chicken goes off early in the morning to hoe the fields, while his pregnant sister-in-law spins yarn at home.
