The development of early Chinese animation is closely intertwined with China’s cultural policy, political movements, and educational initiatives, and cannot be fully understood without situating it in the historical and social context of the Republican era. This text explores how early Chinese animation developed at the intersection of entertainment, education, and ideology during this period of the first half of the 20th century, focusing on the New Life Movement and the Wan Brothers’ animation practice to show how animation became a medium for moral instruction, civic education, and political communication in Republican-era China.
Shanghai emerged as China’s cultural and industrial center during the Republican era, hosting major film studios, such as the Mingxing Film Company, as well as serving as a key site for the introduction of foreign animation techniques (Zhang, 2023). American animation, particularly the works of Walt Disney and Fleischer Studios, influenced Chinese animators in both stylistic and narrative terms, encouraging local artists to explore animation as a medium capable of combining entertainment, visual spectacle, and social instruction (Qin,2015).
As early Chinese animation gained visibility, it came to be recognized not only as entertainment but also as a pedagogical tool. Visual media were increasingly regarded as effective instruments for cultivating moral and civic consciousness by educators, intellectuals, and government officials, as evidenced by the use of animated shorts in schools and public campaigns promoting hygiene and civic behavior (Gu, 1937; Li, 2018). Consequently, both in formal school settings and through public screenings, Chinese animation education became closely aligned with the broader social and political objectives of 1930s and 1940s China. In response to social challenges and external pressures, the Republican government sought to foster a disciplined and morally upright citizenry through targeted cultural and educational programs.
The New Life Movement
Launched in 1934 under the former president Chiang Kai-shek, the New Life Movement was an important political campaign that intersected with animation (see Figure 1). The movement emphasized hygiene, social order, personal discipline, and moral cultivation (Chiang, 1934). These principles were grounded in Confucian ethics, which set out moral values such as propriety, discipline, and social order, and were aligned with the Three Principles of the People, a nationalist framework for citizenship and state-building. Children were seen as the nation’s future, and schools, textbooks, newspapers, and visual culture were mobilized to instill proper habits, demonstrate respect for authority, and cultivate civic responsibility (Chinese Second Historical Archives, 2024). Within this context, Chinese animation emerged as an especially effective way for conveying moral and civic lessons in accessible and memorable forms.
The Wan Brothers Wan Laiming, Wan Guchan, Wan Chaochen, and Wan Dihuan together with the Mingxing Film Company played a pivotal role in translating these moral and civic objectives into animated form. Their 1936 omnibus film China Cartoon Congress, composed of ten short works, exemplified the educational and moral aims of the New Life Movement. Some shorts addressed hygiene, punctuality, and social propriety, while others reinforced patriotism and collective responsibility (see Figure 2). By combining humor, fantasy, and moral instruction, these works demonstrated animation’s capacity to function simultaneously as entertainment, education, and propaganda (Mingxing, 1936; Lipao, 1936).
The integration of political messages had lasting implications for animation education in China. The Wan Brothers’ technical innovations, while inspired by American models, established distinct standards for Chinese animation, influencing motion, timing, and character design. These works also demonstrated how political and social messages could be embedded within educational content, setting precedents for their subsequent use in schools, civic campaigns, and state institutions. For example, the animated short film New Life (Wan, 1936) promoted hygiene, punctuality, and social propriety as part of the New Life Movement’s educational agenda. Contemporary newspapers and critics praised these animations for both their artistic quality and educational value, while the Nationalist government recognized their potential to foster moral and national consciousness.
Between Education and Ideology
The educational deployment of animation during the New Life Movement anticipated later developments. Princess Iron Fan (Wan and Wan, 1941) exemplified Chinese animation’s ability to integrate artistic innovation with social and moral messaging. Similarly, during the 1950s–1980s, the newly established socialist state employed comparable strategies, embedding political and moral instruction in children’s animation. This trajectory highlights the ongoing negotiation between creative practice and state-directed cultural policy, revealing animation’s dual capacity as both an artistic and ideological medium in China.
Beyond formal educational contexts, early Chinese animation also functioned as a form of visual pedagogy, reaching children and broader audiences through exhibitions, screenings, and periodicals (Li, 2018; Zhang, 2023). Its combination of narrative, imagery, and music facilitated emotional engagement and memory retention, enabling moral and civic lessons to resonate more effectively. This reciprocal relationship between media production and cultural policy reinforced the legitimacy of Chinese animation as an educational tool and strengthened the state’s confidence in its societal influence.
Diversifying Chinese Animation
Building on this historical framework, the contributions that follow this blog post extend the discussion of Chinese animation across different contexts and periods. Dong Yang examines the hybrid ink-wash aesthetics of Nobody (Yu Shui, 2025) and its reworking of national style through digital visual language. Myria Christophini turns to The Legend of Hei (MTJJ, 2019) and The Legend of Hei 2 (MTJJ and Jei, 2025) to consider how cultural specificity may emerge through narrative structure rather than surface style. Christian Aditya discusses the stereotyping of Chinese Indonesian characters in animation and the importance of more careful and community-informed representation. Isabel Galwey explores plant life in Another World (Tommy Ng, 2025), showing how animated backgrounds can function as active aesthetic and narrative forces. Together, these contributions highlight the diverse ways Chinese animation continues to negotiate history, identity, form, and social meaning.
References
New Life Movement Promotion Association (ed.) (1989) Comprehensive Report of the New Life Movement, 1934 (Minguo ershisan nian xinshenghuo yundong zong baogao 民國二十三年新生活運動總報告). Taipei: Wenhui Press.
Chinese Second Historical Archives (ed.) (2024) Collected Archival Materials on the History of the Republic of China: Series 5, Part 1, Culture (I) (Zhongguo minguoshi danganziliao huibian Diwuji diyibian wenhua yi 中国民国史档案资料汇编第五辑第一编文化一). Nanjing: Phoenix Publishing.
Gu, JC. (1937) The Educational Film (Jiaoyu dianying 教育電影). Shanghai: Zhonghua Book Company.
Li, JR. (2018) The New Life Movement and Early Film Production: Creation, Compilation, Transformation, and Influence (1934–1937) (Xinshenghuo yundong yu zaoqi dianying shengchan: Chuangzuo, Bianzuan, Gaizao he Yingxiang(1934-1937) 新生活运动和早期电影生产：创作、编纂、改造与影响(1934-1937)). Journal of Contemporary Cinema (6).
LiPao (立報). (1936). Shanghai: Shanghai Libao Press. Newspaper.
Mingxing (明星). (1936). Shanghai: Mingxing Film Company. Film magazine.
Qin, G. (2015) ‘Princess Iron Fan’ and Isolated Shanghai under Wartime Conditions: Asia’s First Feature-Length Animated Film Born of War [Tecsennkousyu to sennjika no kotou syannhai –sennsou ga unnda ajia hatsu no cyouhenn animesyonn 『鉄扇公主』と戦時下の孤島上海―戦争が生んだアジア初の長編アニメーション]. Otsuka, E.J. (ed) TOBIO Critiques (1). Tokyo: Ota Publishing, pp.92-107
Zhang, Y. (2023)The Concessionary City of Shanghai and the Princess Iron Fan: A Reconsideration of the Interpretation of the Princess Iron Fan [Sokai toshi Shanghai to Tesen Kousyu: Tesen Kousyu no kaisyaku nitaisuru saikou 租界都市上海と『鉄扇公主』：『鉄扇公主』の解釈に対する再考].Journal of animation studies 23(1): 101-113.
Ying Zhang is a lecturer in International Art and Culture at Joshibi University of Art and Design, Japan. She received her BA in Animation Production from Shanghai Normal University in China, MA in Art Research and Production from the University of Granada in Spain, and PhD from Joshibi University of Art and Design in Japan. Her research focuses on East Asian animation history, Sino-Japanese animation exchange, and the relationship between animation, media culture, and cultural policy in the 1930s and 1940s. Her work has been published in The Japanese Journal of Animation Studies.