Tie Shan Gongzhu

Tie Shan Gongzhu, or Princess Iron Fan, is a 1941 Chinese animated feature film produced by the Wan brothers during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Created under challenging circumstances in occupied Shanghai, the film adapts a pivotal sequence from the classical novel Journey to the West, serving as a rare and significant piece of wartime cultural production that sought to demonstrate China’s animation capabilities on the international stage.

The Wan brothers utilized a rotoscoping technique and meticulously hand-drawn frames to bring the legendary characters to life, balancing traditional Chinese aesthetic sensibilities with the influence of contemporary Western animation, particularly the work of Walt Disney. The film achieved critical acclaim upon its release, notably influencing a young Osamu Tezuka, and remains a foundational work in the history of Asian animation for its technical ambition and cultural endurance.