How the Wan brothers pioneered Chinese animation in a tiny, crowded attic

Art · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Long before China became a global animation powerhouse, the Wan brothers were experimenting with flipbooks in a cramped attic. From early commercial shorts to the landmark feature Havoc in Heaven, Wan Laiming and his siblings navigated war, occupation, and political upheaval to define a national art form.

Born in 1900, Wan Laiming is widely regarded as China’s first animator. Alongside his twin brother Wan Guchan, he began his career at the Shanghai Commercial Press in 1919. Their early fascination with motion was sparked by primitive technologies like the zoetrope. By the early 1920s, the brothers were testing the limits of animation in a small attic, using thick books to create rudimentary flipbook sequences of cats and mice.

The brothers’ professional breakthrough arrived in 1922 with the short Shuzhendong Chinese Typewriter, a commercial project that presented significant technical hurdles, including issues with background exposure. By 1924, they were producing animation under studio conditions at the Great Wall Film Company. Their output grew in sophistication, moving from the 10-to-12-minute Uproar in the Studio to the 1935 release of The Camel's Dance, which introduced sound to their work. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, the brothers utilized their skills for the anti-Japanese movement, integrating war songs into propaganda films.

Despite the challenges of the Japanese occupation, the brothers remained driven by a desire to match international quality standards. Inspired by the American production Snow White, they completed Princess Iron Fan in 1940, a notable achievement produced in a city semi-occupied by Japanese forces. Following the establishment of the Shanghai Animation Film Studio in 1950, Wan Laiming served as director, overseeing the 1956 release of the first color animation, Why is the Crow Black-Coated.

The pinnacle of their collaboration was the ambitious film Havoc in Heaven, with the first part released in 1961 and the final installment completed in 1964. The film earned international acclaim, establishing China as a serious contender in high-quality animation. However, this golden era was cut short by the Cultural Revolution in 1966, which devastated the industry. Wan Laiming passed away in 1997, leaving behind a legacy honored by a statue in Shanghai.

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