Dalie Ji

Dalie Ji, or The Great Trip, was produced by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio in the mid-1980s during a vibrant era for Chinese animation. Emerging from the studio’s tradition of blending traditional folk storytelling with experimental visual techniques, the film serves as a testament to the creative output of a period that saw Chinese animators exploring both cultural heritage and contemporary allegorical narratives.

The film is celebrated for its distinct aesthetic, which reflects the studio's move away from the rigid paper-cut style toward more fluid, hand-drawn animation techniques. Designed by artists within the Shanghai studio’s collective, the visuals were intended to capture a sense of wonder and epic scale. It remains a notable entry in the studio's storied filmography, often cited by scholars for its contribution to the evolution of the Chinese artistic landscape during the post-reform period.