A cartoon film "The Nightingale," adapted from a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen and produced by the Shanghai Animated Film Studio and a Canadian studio, won profuse acclaim in 14 countries.

In 1999, the first SID numerical code stereo sound animated film called "Lotus Lantern" showed in China. As the first major domestically produced animated film in China, it had a huge budget of 12 million yuan (about US$1.44 million). The producer, Shanghai Animated Film Studio, spent four years making the film.

Although it received mixed reviews from audiences, its market operation was a huge success, with a box office of 20 million yuan (about US$2.41). Its understanding and discussion of Chinese culture and humanities, however, were comparatively superficial. However, the film provided a beneficial experience for the studio's next creations.

Roughly estimated, more than 60 of China's animated films had won over 70 prizes at international film festivals with its unique artistic style since China's animation made its world debut. They draw on ancient Chinese paintings and colorful folk arts, including puppet shows and paper-cuts in general. Therefore, Chinese animated films are unique both in content and form. China's age-old history and civilization, as well as the brilliant traditional arts, open a wide prospect for the development of animated films.

Some typical examples of China's animation over its glorious history:

 The Magic Brush　

In a village, there lived a boy called Ma Liang, whose family was so poor that he could not go to school. But he loved painting and worked very hard at it. One day, he got a brush, which had a magical power -- if you draw anything with it, it will turn real upon completion.

So he started to help everyone in his village with his magic brush. This information reached a local officer. He put Ma Liang into the prison and confiscated his brush.

The officer found that the bush did not have any power when it was in his hands, so he forced Ma Liang to draw a golden mountain. Ma Liang agreed and drew a golden mountain, but he also drew a big ocean around it. After the officer and his servants sailed across the sea, Ma Liang waved his brush, then the boat and the people in it sunk due to the squall.

Then Ma Liang came back to his village and lived happily ever after, helping his fellow villagers with his magic brush.

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