For decades, when people thought of East Asian animation, they thought of Japan. Anime was the dominant style, the global reference, and the standard of quality. But that picture is shifting. A growing number of Chinese animated films, series, and short films are reaching international audiences under their own name: donghua.
Donghua covers all Chinese animation, from theatrical films to streaming series to independent shorts. The industry has developed rapidly in the past decade, supported by growing domestic demand, improved production technology, and a generation of creators who grew up watching both anime and traditional Chinese stories. The result is a style that borrows from Japanese and Western animation but increasingly feels like its own thing.
From outsourcing to original creation
Not long ago, many Chinese animation studios worked as subcontractors for Japanese or American productions. They drew scenes, colored frames, and rendered backgrounds for other people’s stories. The work taught technical skills but offered little creative ownership.
That changed as the domestic market grew. Streaming platforms like Bilibili, Tencent Video, and iQiyi began funding original animated series. Theaters started showing Chinese animated films that could compete with imported titles. Studios realized that domestic audiences wanted to see their own stories on screen — tales based on Chinese mythology, folklore, history, and urban life.
This shift mirrors what happened with short videos in China, where accessible tools allowed creators to tell their own stories directly. Donghua is the cinematic equivalent — creators now have the platforms and budgets to produce content for Chinese and global viewers.
Mythology as source material
Chinese mythology is deep and varied. The classical novel “Journey to the West” alone has inspired countless adaptations — the Monkey King is one of the most recognizable characters in Chinese animation. The story “Nezha,” about a defiant boy god, has been adapted into multiple films, most notably the 2019 hit “Ne Zha,” which earned over 700 million dollars at the box office and became one of the highest-grossing animated films worldwide.
Stories like “White Snake,” “The Legend of Hei,” and “Big Fish & Begonia” draw from classical literature, folk tales, and philosophical themes. The visual styles differ, but they share a commitment to building worlds from Chinese cultural material rather than imitating foreign conventions.
This use of traditional material echoes how Chinese opera adapted historical and literary stories into performance. Each generation finds new ways to tell old tales, and donghua is doing for visual storytelling what opera did for stage performance.
Style and technique
Donghua varies widely in visual style. Some productions use 3D animation that resembles video games. Others use hand-drawn 2D animation with watercolor-like backgrounds. A growing number of works combine both. The 3D-heavy style of many Chinese web series has become distinctive enough that regular viewers can recognize a mainland production within seconds.
Color grading in donghua tends toward warmth and saturation. Action sequences often emphasize speed and impact. Fantasy scenes lean into mist, mountains, floating islands, and architecture drawn from Chinese painting traditions. The visual identity is not uniform, but certain motifs — flowing cloth, elaborate hair, jade accessories, calligraphy in title sequences — appear frequently enough to create a recognizable aesthetic.
The martial arts tradition explored in kung fu and wuxia films feeds directly into donghua fight choreography. Many animated battles use the same principles of weightlessness, rhythm, and dramatic pause that live-action wuxia perfected.
The streaming revolution
Streaming has been the biggest driver of donghua growth. Bilibili, originally a platform for anime fans, now funds and broadcasts dozens of original Chinese animated series. Tencent Video has its own animation division. These platforms provide production budgets, distribution, and direct access to young audiences who watch on phones and tablets.
Weekly release schedules for donghua series are common, creating ongoing engagement similar to anime seasons. Some series run for hundreds of episodes. Others are limited series with film-level production quality. The variety means there is donghua for children, for teenagers, and for adult viewers who want more complex stories.
This ecosystem parallels China’s new tea shop culture, where traditional ingredients are repackaged for modern tastes. Donghua takes classical stories and gives them contemporary pacing, visual effects, and marketing.
International reach and challenges
Chinese animation is reaching global audiences through Netflix, YouTube, and international film festivals. “Ne Zha” was released in the United States, Britain, and Australia. “The Legend of Hei” found fans among anime enthusiasts worldwide. But the international market is still a small share of total revenue. Most donghua is made for domestic viewers first.
Language and cultural barriers remain. Jokes that work in Chinese may not translate well. References to Chinese mythology require context that foreign viewers may not have. Subtitling helps, but the gap between “accessible” and “truly understandable” can be wide. As donghua grows, localization will become more important.
There is also the question of creative freedom. Animation in China operates under the same content regulations as live-action film and television. Some topics are restricted. Some stories are censored. The industry navigates these constraints while trying to produce work that feels authentic rather than cautious.
Where donghua is headed
Donghua is still young as a globally recognized category. The industry is expanding, the technology is improving, and the audience is growing. Whether it will develop a style as globally dominant as Japanese anime remains uncertain. But the trend is clear: Chinese animation is no longer just a footnote or an imitation. It is finding its own voice, and that voice speaks in many registers — epic, comedic, philosophical, and deeply visual.
For anyone interested in animation, Chinese mythology, or contemporary visual culture, donghua is worth watching. The best is probably still ahead.
