A new milestone for Chinese animation films

Animation film Ne Zha, based on a Chinese folktale in which the young hero named Ne Zha fights a dragon king for sake of the people, has created a box office miracle in China this summer, grossing at least 2 billion yuan ($284.69 million) in less than two weeks and setting a new record for Chinese animations. Which shows the huge potential the market for not only Chinese animations but also Chinese films as a whole have.

Besides, it disproves the pessimist view that the growth of the Chinese movie market and box office has reached its peak. That Ne Zha, an unexpected blockbuster, has been able to widen its appeal during an otherwise dull summer holiday season thanks to the word of mouth demands special attention.

The immense popularity of the film reminds us of the glory days of Chinese animations which featured fascinating Chinese stories, a unique animation style and oriental animation aesthetics after the mid-20th century. Among which Prince Ne Zha's Triumph Against the Dragon King, based on the same storyline as Ne Zha's, is an apt example. More than 40 years later, the household legend of Ne Zha, despite undergoing many changes in its movie adaptation, has once again enthralled Chinese audiences.