Early Development of Chinese Animation (1923–1938)

From the late nineteenth century to 1923, China was in the preparatory stage of its animation industry, which also marked the planning phase for the creation of its first animated film. The period from 1924, when the first Chinese animated film was born, to 1936, represents the developmental stage of early Chinese animation. Starting from the mid-1910s, China’s film production industry entered a phase of rapid development, and by the late 1920s, it had formed a significant industry scale. During this time, film gradually became one of the mainstream entertainment forms for the public. According to the China Film Industry Yearbook published in 1927, around 1925, there were 175 film companies in China, with 141 located in Shanghai alone. The enthusiasm of audiences, the profitability of early film companies, and the rapid development of the global film industry encouraged various forms of national capital to invest in China’s film industry, leading to the first prosperity of the Chinese film industry.