Bing Shang Yuxian

Bing Shang Yuxian, known as 'The Fish Child' or 'The Jade Fairy on the Ice,' was produced by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio and released in 1959. It is a landmark work of the Chinese ink-wash animation style, a pioneering technique developed by the studio during the late 1950s. The film was created as part of a national effort to develop a distinctively Chinese aesthetic in animation, moving away from Western influences to embrace the fluidity and brushwork of traditional landscape painting.

The animation was directed by Yu Zheguang, who sought to translate the evocative, ethereal nature of classical Chinese art into moving images. By using layered ink washes on rice paper, the studio achieved a soft, dreamlike quality that broke away from the sharp outlines typical of international cel animation at the time. The film was highly regarded by contemporary critics for its artistic innovation and helped cement the Shanghai Animation Film Studio's reputation as a world-class center for experimental storytelling and visual design.