From Havoc in Heaven to Big Fish and Begonia: The Fusion of Tradition and Modernity in Chinese Animation

Abstract

Chinese animation has experienced the evolution from tradition to modernity in its development course. As a classic animation work, "Havoc in Heaven" has laid the foundation of Chinese animation. Its rich cultural connotation and unique artistic style make it become a representative of national animation. And "Big Fish & Begonia" is a successful attempt of modern animation, reflecting the progress of contemporary animation production technology and narrative techniques. This paper will discuss how these two works integrate the expression form and narrative skills of modern animation under the framework of Chinese traditional culture, and show the balance between inheritance and innovation of Chinese animation.