Fantasy animation tells heartwarming tale

The setting for the story is inspired by childhood experiences common to many young Chinese, like visiting grandparents in the countryside during summer or winter vacations. Yang says that during her own visits, she was often able to see folk customs or traditional cultural elements that have become rare sights in cities.

"I feel that they are still vibrant. Since videos can be watched repeatedly, I think it's a great way to record fading cultural traditions, or represent them in a new light," she says.

The team chose to blend lion dance and ballet. Both are a means of physical expression, despite their different cultural contexts. While the two performing genres represent different aesthetics, Yang finds commonalities. For example, both involve collaboration with other dancers.

In lion dancing, a lion is typically played by two performers, who manipulate the head and tail respectively, while the pas de deux in ballet also requires two dancers to work closely together.

"These movements in both genres, such as when one dancer lifts up the other, rely heavily on trust and coordination between the partners," she says.